Against All Odds
by darkangel199113
Summary: After watching their family and home burn, Maggie and Beth assume they're alone in the world - until Maggie stumbles across Rick being chased by Walkers through the woods. After discovering he has a group on the side of the highway, Beth and Maggie pack what they can and follow him back. The two set off with the group on a journey that changes everything.
1. The Herd

"What was that?"

Maggie jolted an inch at the sudden sound of Beth's voice behind her. "I didn't hear anything," she whispered back, turning her face to meet hers. "Go back to sleep. We got a lot of ground to cover in the morning."

"A lot of ground to where?" she asked as she pushed herself into a sitting position, wrapping her arms snugly around her knees.

A long sigh escaped Maggie's lips as she turned her body completely to face her little sister. "As far away from the farm as possible."

The two stared at each other in the darkness. Neither one could really make out the other's expression. Even though Beth couldn't see much of her features, she could tell in her sister's voice that she was exhausted. Everything had happened so fast. The infection. The death of their mother and brother. Their father keeping the dead in the barn, thinking they were sick. Those dead getting free and attacking them. More stumbling upon the farm from the sound of the fight.

It was a chain reaction that Beth and Maggie hadn't really wrapped their heads around yet. Hershel had told them to leave, and Maggie did what she knew she had to. She had to protect her baby sister any way she could, even if it meant losing her father and the others on the farm. It had only been them, Hershel, Otis, Patrica and Jimmy. Patrica and Otis had been their neighbors, and Jimmy had been Beth's boyfriend. Whatever they all were, neither sister had had the chance to think about them until now.

"Maggie, we never saw what happened to them," Beth said softly, straining to keep her voice from cracking.

"I can't think about it, Beth. We can't think about it," she said swiftly, reaching out to take Beth's hands in her own. "We knew that it would happen eventually. Those things..." she trailed off and Beth could tell she was thinking of Annette and Shawn. "They're dangerous. I think some part of daddy knew that. He just didn't wanna think about it."

A silence fell as Maggie wrapped one arm around Beth's shoulders and pulled her close. They had managed to get a good distance into the woods before night began to fall around them. They didn't dare start a fire, even though it was slightly colder than they thought it would be. However, they were in the middle of a danger zone. Trees were in every direction, and the farm wasn't too far away. It was still overrun with the dead, and there was most likely still many walking in the area.

Beth wanted nothing more than to let everything go and cry in her sister's arms. However, she found it hard to find the strength in her to do even that. She knew Maggie was trying hard to stay strong, so she wanted to be strong for her. She knew she had to find something in her to do that much.

"Are we going to leave the woods?" Beth asked in a voice that she almost didn't recognize as her own.

"Probably not yet. It'll be easier to hide. Plus there's bound to be lots of creatures we can hunt and eat." Maggie felt Beth shudder in her arms. She adjusted herself against a tree and pulled Beth closer, gently resting one hand against her cheek. "It's okay if you wanna breakdown right now..."

Beth's eyes traveled up to her face. A soft frown tugged at her lips as she stared at her sister. "I can't do that to you. We have to be strong...together."

Maggie stared back at her with a sadness in her eyes. Before she knew it, a soft little chuckle left her lips. "Yeah. We'll stay strong together. Or at least until tomorrow."

For a peaceful moment, the two just sat there. However, it was just a moment. A shuffle of feet and strained snarls brought them back to reality. They weren't safe here. They weren't safe anywhere. Everything they knew was gone. Hershel, Jimmy, Otis and Patrica were probably dead; along with their mother and brother. Beth was all Maggie had, and Maggie was all Beth had. This seemed to be a silent realization that passed between them, as they quickly gathered the blankets and bags that they had managed to grab before leaving the farm. Maggie seemed composed, walking with confidence as they started in the opposite direction of the groans. Beth, on the other hand, stumbled behind her sister in tiny strides. Maybe it was just the unspoken fear on Maggie's face, but Beth knew that her confidence would only last so long. By morning light, the dead would only be an afterthought to Maggie's broken heart and struggling will to stay strong.

* * *

"I told you it wouldn't last for long," uttered the calm voice of an aged man as he peered into the engine of a worn out RV. "The radiator hose is completely shot."

"Think you can find a replacement in one of these cars?" questioned a man in a sheriff uniform. He scratched his chin in thought as he stared into the engine. His face was worn and growing the beginnings of a beard. On the other side stood a young Asian, looking about as exhausted as the rest of the group that stood around the road, or sat in the broken down RV. They were just hoping to find any kind of safety along the road, but was hindered by a large pile up of abandoned cars. As fate would have it, the RV took that moment to also break down.

"I'll look around, but that hose on that car you took to Atlanta would have done much better," he muttered, his obvious aggravation showing. He tried hard to hide the emotion on his face, something his voice couldn't do at that moment.

"Sorry, Dale," he replied before giving the old man a friendly clap on the shoulder. "You and Glenn should look around. He's been helping ya with the RV the most, right? He'll know what you're looking for." He gave a glance to Glenn, the man standing on the other side of Dale. Glenn merely nodded before walking off with the old man into the crowd of cars that surrounded them.

"Rick?" chimed a soft voice from behind him. When he turned, he came face to face with the distraught face of his wife. "Everyone's getting antsy. What are we gonna do?"

Rick released a deep sigh as he glanced around the group he had ultimately came to lead. It had never been spoken out loud that he was the leader, but it seemed most everyone had turned to him for the hard decisions. All except for Shane, a man he trusted with his life. The man that had saved his family while he had been in a coma. It was such a long and unbelievable tale. Rick could still hardly believe it himself. He had gotten shot in a shoot up outside of town, the results ending him in a coma. When he woke up, the world was a completely different place. He got help from a a stranger named Morgan, and managed to get on the road to Atlanta. When he got there, he met Glenn, Andrea, T-Dog, Jacqui and Merle. Things went to shit pretty quick, and the group he found ended up leaving one behind. That one being Merle Dixon, brother to one Daryl Dixon, a man that he became acquainted with quite quickly. He wasn't sure how to feel about Daryl just yet, but it seemed he wasn't going to try and kill him in his sleep. That was already a bonus on his part.

Needless to say, Rick found himself making an endless chain of decisions that led to the demise of the camp he found his wife and son in. They lost a few people before they managed to escape, only to end up in a place called the CDC. They discovered a little information about the Walkers while staying there, but the safety they thought they had only lasted a few days before the whole place ran out of gas and blew up. They lost Jacqui by her own choice. Andrea had almost decided to end it there as well, but changed her mind at the last second because of Dale's stubbornness. Now the merry little band was much smaller, if you could even call them merry. All of them had seen too much in the past few days since their camp was destroyed. Rick couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that had happened, but he wasn't going to let the rest of the group see his doubt in himself. Even though Shane was probably more than happy to lead them, Rick knew he had to keep strong for Lori and Carl, his wife and son.

"How about you look around?" he suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe you'll find somethin' worth while."

Lori's brow knitted together in uncertainty. Rick could sense she was stressed, but he was just as stressed as her. "Alright." She then turned to a woman and her daughter, sitting on the steps of the RV. "Carol? Wanna help me and Carl look around?"

"Oh, sure," she said softly, a kindness in her tone. Despite everything that had happened, Carol was still a kind hearted woman. She wasn't very outspoken, but she still showed kindness to the rest of the group. "Come on, Sophia," she instructed the little girl beside her, taking her little hand in her much larger one. Sophia only nodded in reply before following close by her mother and Lori. Carl wasn't too far behind the three, but not making much of an effort to stay close.

"Carl," said Lori with a sternness in her voice, drawing his attention to her. "Always within my sight," she added as she pointed her index and middle finger at her eyes before directing them toward him. His reply was a simple nod.

While the mother's and their children salvaged what they could find in random cars, and Glenn and Dale searched for a replacement hose, Daryl gathered his crossbow and arrows together. Rick glanced at him as he slung the crossbow haphazardly over his shoulder and made toward the woods.

"Daryl?" he called, causing the man to turn toward him with a raised brow. "I don't have to tell _you_ not to go too far."

Daryl rolled his eyes before waving his hand at him to shoo him away. "Just gonna do some huntin'. Better than sittin' round here doin' nothin'."

Rick nodded before the two shared one last look. He watched as Daryl took off into the woods. Despite the fact he was pretty pissed at him, Daryl hadn't tried to do anything against Rick for leaving Merle handcuffed to a roof. As a matter of fact, Daryl had been rather quiet throughout the ride from the CDC. Other than the occasional comment or quip, he didn't seem as shaken as the rest. Rick was rather glad that Daryl had a somewhat straight head on his shoulders. Going off by himself wasn't the best idea, but there was no arguing with him on that matter.

Andrea was basically sulking in the RV, not entirely sure what to do with herself, or what to say to everyone else after the incident at the CDC. Shane, however, seemed to be keeping a lot of distance from everyone else. He occasionally glanced in Lori or Carl's direction. The looks were not lost on Rick, but he didn't approach him about it. As for T-Dog, he didn't know what to do with himself either, so he just joined the ladies in their search of anything in the random cars.

"Hey Shane!" chimed Carl from a little distance away. He came up to the older man with a grin on his lips. He held up a leather cloth before lying it out on the ground, revealing a line-up of different tools. "Look what I found."

"Carl," scolded Lori, having notice the exchange and come over. "Be careful with those."

Ignoring her comments, Carl pulled out a particularly sharp instrument. "This one is cool."

"What did I just say?" snapped Lori, a stern look on her face and her hands on her hips.

"Come on, mom. Shane, tell her she's being silly."

Shane released a sigh of annoyance before turning his gaze to the boy. "How about you stop messin' around and give that stuff to Dale. Get on outta here, boy!"

A look of rejection spread across Carl's face before putting the tool away and storming off. Like always, it didn't take long for Carl to go from hurt to angry. It didn't take Lori long to register anger on her face either. She stared Shane down, her arms crossed and her face distorted in disappointment.

"What was that?" she snapped in a whisper as she moved closer to him. "You destroyed him just then."

Complete agony was written all over Shane's face as he gripped the side of the car he was standing in front of. If Lori had noticed his annoyance, she decided to ignore it. "You tell me to stay away and that's what I'm doin'. As a matter of fact, I'm gettin' far away from here the first chance I get"

"What are you saying?" she asked with confusion before glancing at the pile of clothes and other supplies in the back of the car. "You're leaving?"

"Better that way," he muttered before pushing past her and walking into the graveyard of cars, just as Dale and Glenn returned with what they had managed to find.

"Didn't find a hose, but maybe this tape and fishing line will help," announced Glenn to no one in particular before walking over to the RV and putting his focus on the engine.

Dale gave him a pat on the shoulder before he walked past the stunned Lori. Dale glanced at her when he noticed her grim expression, but she quickly shook it away before walking over to Carol and Sophia. He decided not to press whatever the issue was, but found himself glancing toward Shane as he climbed up on top of the RV and grabbed his shotgun. He noticed movement in the distance and quickly grabbed a pair of binoculars that was lying at his feet. With a quick scan of the area, he saw a Walker shuffling around the hoards of cars. His gaze then traveled the rest of the area and saw two more.

He gripped his gun tightly before lowering the binoculars, deciding it was best not to shoot them just yet. Given the place they were situated in, there was no telling how many more dead stalked in the trees that surrounded both sides of the road. He didn't want to risk attracting more. However, with another look, he noticed that the risk was already too great.

More Walkers began to shuffle out from behind a large truck. It wasn't long before two dozen or more were marching in their direction. He quickly hissed at Glenn. When the young man glanced up at him, he quickly pointed in the direction of the Walkers. It didn't take him long to see the threat, and he quickly fell to the ground and crawled under the RV on his stomach. Dale did the same, pressing himself down flat on the roof on his stomach. His gaze traveled down the hatch of the roof and into the RV where Andrea sat, messing with her gun. He tried to call out to her but she merely ignored him, obviously not having heard him. However, when she glanced out the window and saw a few Walkers pass by, her eyes widen and she quickly fell to the floor and under the table.

It hadn't taken long for everyone else on the streets to notice the forming horde. Rick had been the first, and had quickly gotten to Lori and Carl. He told them to duck under the cars before doing that himself. Lori ended up under a vehicle with Carol. The poor woman was instantly struck with dread when she saw her little girl under a car all alone. Lori quickly put a reassuring arm around her as Carol covered her own mouth with a shaking hand. She felt the same kind of dread wash over her as she stared to the car across from them where Carl laid on his stomach by himself.

Shane had done the same and quickly gotten under a car. T-Dog, however, hadn't noticed until he heard the moaning draw closer, and saw everyone was no longer in sight. He quickly ducked behind an open car door, accidentally cutting a deep gash in his arm on some piece of rusty metal sticking out of the door. Blood began to spew from his injury and coat his shirt. He felt the urge to cry in pain, but he bit his lip in an attempt to keep quiet. Walkers were passing by and he was close enough to smell their horrible stench. But, they were just as close to smell the scent of fresh blood.

Before he had a chance to react, a Walker rounded the car and lunged for him. He quickly used his good arm to hold him at bay. It growled and snapped its teeth at his exposed neck. He used every ounce of strength to push it off him, but it was quickly on him again. Just as it was about to sink its teeth into his neck, an arrow plunged into its head from behind and stopped an inch from T-Dog's face. There was no time to think about it before Daryl was pulling the dead thing off him, and pushing it to the side. He then pulled the arrow from its head and stabbed another Walker passing by, having heard the struggle.

T-Dog gasped and tried to catch his breath before Daryl grabbed his legs and pulled him flat on his back. He would have protested, but was starting to feel weak from blood loss. Suddenly, there was a heavy weight upon him, and he was soon staring into the face of a dead man. Daryl had placed the body on top of him before lying down in a pile of the dead himself, and pulling a body on top of him. With the adrenaline of the moment no longer pumping in his veins, T-Dog was now filled with a sense of fear as the remaining Walkers passed over them. Everything was dead quiet, except for the sound of their groaning as they made their way slowly down the road.

At that same moment, Andrea had found herself at odds with a Walker that had stumbled into the RV. She had locked herself in the bathroom with her gun, using her feet to keep the door closed. However, her gun was in pieces because Shane had been cleaning it for her earlier. She didn't know what she was doing, but she attempted to put it back together again. Her fumbling caused her to drop it, and the Walker that had been about to leave, returned and started banging on the door. The fear and panic took over, causing Andrea to whimper as she tried to keep the Walker from getting into the small space she was trapped in.

Dale managed to see what was going on, and quickly pulled a screwdriver from his pocket and dropped it through the hatch to her. She bent down and grabbed it, causing her feet to drop to the ground. The Walker pushed through the crack of the door and lunged at her, but she quickly lunged back and plunged the screwdriver into its head repeatedly. It happened so fast that she almost didn't notice all the heavy panting she had been making. Once it was dead, she slunk to the floor and held the screwdriver to her chest, trying to catch her breath and stop the hyperventilating she was beginning to do.

After a few minutes, a deathly silence fell over the area. Rick glanced at Lori and Carol before looking toward Carl and Sophia. He held up a hand to them, gesturing for them to wait a moment longer. However, Sophia began crawling out from under her car to peek around. As soon as she popped her head out, a Walker snarled at her and attempted to grab her. She instantly released a blood curdling scream before dodging under the car once more.

It was too late, though. The Walker knew she was there and was attempting to pull her out by her feet. Carol watched with utter horror, wanting nothing more than to jump out and go to her daughter's aid. Lori kept her in place as the little girl continued to scream. Everyone stayed completely still as she crawled out from under the car and quickly pushed herself to her feet. She climbed over the railing on the side of the road and slid down the small hill that was on the other side. She managed to keep her footing as she sprinted off into the woods, two Walkers quickly on her tail.

Once the Walkers were gone and no more were alerted to their presence, Rick quickly jumped into action. He pulled himself out from under the car and jumped the same railings as Sophia. He didn't say anything as he ran off into the woods after her. Carol, Lori and Carl quickly stumbled out from under their cars not too long after, and made their way to the side of the railings.

"My baby!" cried Carol as Lori quickly stopped her from running off into the unknown. "My little girl is being chased by two Walkers."

"I know," replied Lori in the most comforting voice she could manage. She then grabbed Carol's face and made her look at her. "Rick will get to her first. Your little girl will be just fine. I swear to you."

Carol stared back at her, tears already starting to fall from her eyes. She tried hard not to lose it, but a strangled noise escaped her throat before she pressed her face into Lori's chest. Lori's eyes darted off into the woods as she held the older woman, trying hard to comfort her with soothing words and promises she knew better than to make. By that point everyone else had emerged from their hiding places and were surrounding the two women. All eyes were on the woods, waiting patiently for the outcome of little Sophia.

* * *

Rick pushed himself through the trees, all his focus on getting to Sophia before the Walkers. He couldn't help but feel a sigh of relief escape his lips as he caught up to the little girl. She screamed when he grabbed her arm gently, but he wasn't surprised. He quickly picked her up into his arms and slid down a little hill and into a pond of dirty water. His feet splashed the water around his ankle's as he walked over to a hole in the trunk of a tree, then gently placed her there.

"Stay right here until I come back," he said sternly, reaching for his gun.

"No, no, no," she protested, waving her free hand and clutching her toy doll in the other. It was amazing how she never let go of the doll through all of that. "Please don't leave me."

Rick sighed deeply before putting two strong hands on her shoulders. "You'll be fine if you hide right here. I need to get rid of the Walkers chasing us before they become a bigger problem than they already are," he explained softly, receiving a nod in return. He could tell she was still very uncertain of him leaving her alone.

"If I don't come back, I want you to head back on the trail. Keep the sun on your left shoulder."

With another nod, Sophia quickly ducked into the trunk of the tree and crouched down low. Rick turned away as the Walkers that had been chasing her stumbled down the hill and face first into the muddy water.

"Come on, you son of bitches!" he snarled, backing away. His eyes glanced to Sophia one last time, making sure she was well hidden before turning to lead the Walkers away from her. However, as soon as he turned to lead them away, two shots were fired and the Walkers fell to the ground dead.

Rick wasn't sure what to feel as he turned and stared at the dead Walkers before him. Sophia gingerly walked out of the hole and quickly went over to Rick's side. He stared down at the little girl before the sound of someone clearing their throat drew his attention to a young woman. The woman stood on top of the hill he just climbed down with Sophia, her gun in one hand and the other hand on her hip. He looked at her with awe for only a moment before pointing his gun at her, aiming for her face.

"Hey now!" she snapped, putting her hands up defensively, gun still in hand. "I think it's a bit rude to point a gun at the person that just saved your life."

"A stranger doesn't just save another stranger for no reason. Not anymore," he said as he gently put a hand on Sophia's shoulder, feeling the little girl shake with fright from coming so close to death.

"I was raised to be respectful no matter what the rest of the world is like," she said with so much certainty and clarity that Rick almost wanted to believe she didn't want anything. "My name's Maggie, by the way. Whether you actually believe me or not is up to you, but I'm still glad to see another living being besides my sister."

"Sister?" he questioned as his eyes scanned the area.

"She's hiding in a shack away from here" she said softly, noticing Rick's gaze traveling the area. She slowly lowered her hands and put her gun away, causing Rick to feel a little inclined to do the same. Instead, he simply lowered it to point at the ground.

"Just been you and her then?" he asked with a raised brow, a slight skeptical tone in his voice.

"We were on a farm with our father and a few neighbors," she began. "We got taken by surprise and-" She trailed off as her eyes glazed over with a bit of sadness. "And only my sister and I made it out, as far as I know. Our dad told us to run."

A silence fell as Rick listened to her explain her situation. He sucked in a shaky breath, feeling a little sorry for the young woman that stood before him. She told him how they had been out there for a week on their own, and it only made him feel even more sorry for her and her sister. He could see she hadn't really taken the time to let everything that had happened to her sink in, because she seemed to be breaking down before his very eyes. Her breakdown didn't last very long, though. She realized what she was doing and quickly put her brave face on.

"I'm Rick," he said as he put his gun away. "This here is Sophia. She's the daughter of another member in my group. We're just a ways a away from here, on the road. I can...can take you and your sister back there, if you want."

Maggie's gaze was thoughtful for a moment. She seemed to be considering what kind of person he was from just the few minutes she had been talking to him. She glanced down at Sophia, giving her a warm smile before nodding her head. "Okay. Let's go get Beth, then you can take me to the rest of your group."

Rick's only response was a nod. He picked Sophia up into his arms before following gingerly behind Maggie. She had saved him and Sophia, so he felt like she was a generous person. He felt like she should be the more cautious one in this situation, though. He had many, while she only had her sister to back her up. He could only assume that Maggie's sister was just as helpful as her, willing to stick her neck out for a stranger in need. Either way, he needed to get Maggie and Beth back before things got worse than they already were. The sun wasn't too far from setting, and the gunfire would have most likely attracted even more unwanted attention from the dead.

* * *

I'm very proud of this beginning. As you can see, this takes place during that one moment when our heroes break down on the side of the road and a herd of dead come prancing through. As we all know, Sophia does NOT live after this unfortunate event. But, as you can clearly see, I changed that! I changed a lot of things. I tried to keep some things the same. I even attempted to paint the same scene and use the same lines, but not everything is spot on. I tried my best, though! Anyway, everything from this point on will be completely different. I mean, Sophia's going to live and they can't go to the farm! Where will our heroes go? I have no damn clue! I'm seriously just going with it here!


	2. The Other Sister

The happiness that Beth felt the moment she saw her sister emerge from the trees and into her view from the dirty window, was a feeling she thought was long gone. She felt her lips tug into a grateful smile before moving over to the door. For the past week during her time in the woods with Maggie, Beth thought she had lost the ability to be happy. Everything just seemed completely hopeless. Everything they knew was gone, and now they were held up in a dingy little hut in the woods. They had some canned food from the farm, but it was going quickly. The only thing they managed to find at the hut when they arrived was a dead raccoon. The amusement was hard to disguise on Maggie's face, when Beth had refused to go inside because of the horrid smell. At least she had managed to make her sister smile, even if just for a moment.

As the days went on, the lack of food between the two of them was becoming a problem. Maggie decided to travel out alone that morning, and Beth hadn't stopped worrying since. She had begged her to take her with her, but Maggie had been very adamant for her safety. Beth wasn't as fast as Maggie. Beth wasn't as quick thinking in tight situations as Maggie. Beth knew that all of this was in her head and not coming from Maggie herself, but that didn't mean it wasn't something Maggie didn't think about. Maggie didn't think Beth was weak, but she certainly didn't make an effort to let Beth know she thought otherwise. She was trying hard to do what she thought their father would do, which was basically to keep Beth in a bubble.

With a long sigh, Beth pulled open the door just as Maggie was reaching for the knob. Before her big sister could say anything, Beth threw her arms around her waist and squeezed her as tight as her tiny arms could manage.

"Beth," Maggie grunted, freeing one arm from her sister's death grip and patting her shoulder. "I'm alright. I came back, just like I said I would."

"I see that," she muttered into Maggie's clothes, her face pressed against her torso. "But, I'm not letting you go for another five minutes."

"I have a surprise, though," she said softly, gently pushing her back an inch. "You know, with a little training, you could be a monster. You got a super grip."

Beth could only shake her head in response, knowing that her comment would never go anywhere. "What's the surprise?" she inquired as she slowly released her grip on Maggie completely and backed away.

"People that don't want to eat us," she said with a wave of her hand behind her. Beth's gaze followed her gesture to Rick and Sophia, and she stared at them with her mouth agape. She hadn't even notice people were right behind Maggie. She had been so focused on the fact that her sister was still alive, that nothing else in the surrounding area really mattered to her eyes. Now that she was staring at them, she felt herself blush with embarrassment. She mostly felt angry for not seeing them sooner. They were obviously not a threat, but they could have so easily been one.

_"And so easily would the last thing I have in this world be taken from me," _she thought sadly as her vision returned to her sister's face. Her sadness must have reflected on her face, because Maggie's own face distorted into concern as she stared back at her. She quickly shook her head of those thoughts, planting a kind smile on her lips before slowly approaching Rick.

"I imagine you're nice sort of people. Maggie wouldn't bring just anyone back," she explained, throwing a look over her shoulder to her sister.

"She saved our lives, so I'm nothin' but grateful," he said as he placed Sophia onto her feet before extended a hand out toward Beth, which she hesitantly took. "I told your sister that we have a group. It's a small group. My wife and son are there. Sophia's mom is there," he added with a nod in the girl's direction. Sophia looked up at him, her eyes full of unspoken sadness at the mention of her mother.

"I want my mommy," she whispered before clutching her doll close to her chest.

"Don't worry," Maggie said as she moved around Beth and bent down to Sophia's eye level. "As soon as my sister gathers all our stuff up, we'll follow you and Rick back to your camp. Then you can cling to your mom real tight and never let her go again."

Beth silently watched her sister speak. Despite the expression she offered the scared little girl, Beth could see that there was just as much of a scared little girl inside Maggie as there was inside Sophia. She probably wanted nothing more than to cling to their departed mother and never let go again, just as she had instructed Sophia to do to her own mother.

"Are you gonna let go there?" questioned Rick's calm voice, causing Beth to realize she was still shaking his hand. She gave him an awkward smile before pulling her hand away and turning on her heel. Before another word was said, she made her way back inside and began gathering up their small amount of supplies.

Maggie continued to soothe Sophia as Rick turned his attention to the sky. The sun was no longer high over the clouds, and the skies were tinged in the brilliant orange and pink colors of the sunset. "It's gettin' dark. I thin' it would be better if Sophia and I stayed here in this little hut with you two for the night. We can head to camp in the mornin'."

Maggie's gaze cut sharply to him. She gently pulled her hands away from Sophia's before standing up straight. "I'm not sure how I feel about that. We just met you and I know you have this little girl, but I have my sister to think about. Lettin' strange men around isn't really-"

Rick quickly shook his head and held up his hands to stop her for continuing with her line of thought. "Ma'am, please. I know you have no reason to believe me yet, but I wouldn't do anything like _that_. I got a family back there. Besides, I was a cop before...all of this."

Her gaze trailed down his clothes as a grin tugged at her lips, noticing for the first time that he was wearing a sheriff's uniform. "You don't say," she quipped sarcastically as what could only be considered a chuckle escaped her lips. She hadn't really laughed much lately to know whether it was laughter or a grimace.

"I know that was a silly thing to think. I mean, I'm about to take my sister and follow you back to a bunch of people I don't know. I guess that's another reason I'm a little edgy."

"I can assure you, none of my people are like that either," he replied gently. "Although, ya should steer clear of Daryl. He's a bit rough around the edges. Not that bad of a guy, but just doesn't know when enough is enough."

A nod was Maggie's reply. The sound of Beth mumbling about how she did all the work made Maggie turn and head toward the house with a roll of her eyes. She stopped at the door and turned to the pair, giving Rick another nod of confirmation. Rick knew that she was giving him the green light to stay inside with them. Sophia was still distraught and a little confused about the whole conversation, so she didn't even notice Maggie's gesture. She rubbed her eyes and gave a yawn before Rick took her hand and led her inside.

* * *

"She's gonna worry herself to death," whispered Lori as she stared toward the edge of the road. Carol was standing by the railing on the side of the road, staring off into the dark woods. Her arms were crossed and her shoulders occasionally shook. With her back toward the RV where Lori sat with Dale, it was hard to see what was written on her face. Lori could tell, however, that Carol was crying again.

"I'm concerned too. I'm concerned about Sophia and Rick, out there all alone," Dale replied softly, staring off into the same direction. He hadn't left the roof of the RV since everything had happened. Lori had only just joined him minutes before, leaving Carl in the RV with Andrea and a wounded T-Dog. Lori had managed to patch him up okay with some bandages she found in a car on the road.

Lori sighed before glancing toward the car Shane had been packing earlier. She hadn't spoken to him since Rick ran after the little girl, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to. He stood next to the car, fussing over his gun. He didn't seem as worried about the situation as everyone else. Hell, even Daryl was showing more concern at this point. After giving T-Dog some pills that use to belong to his brother, to help with infection, he ventured off into the woods to do what he did best: track them down. With Daryl lurking the woods, Lori felt a little better. She knew if anyone could find Rick and Sophia, it would be him.

"Hey," chimed Glenn as he pulled himself onto the roof and sat down on the other side of Lori. "Dale, man," he began with a shake of his head. "I don't have a freaking clue what I'm doing in that engine. Why don't you pop your head in there and I'll keep watch."

With a suspicious look and a nod of his head, Dale handed the shotgun over to the young man before climbing down and taking a peek inside. Faint curses came fluttering to Lori and Glenn's ears as he started messing around with the hose. A smirk spread across Glenn's face before placing the gun down beside him and picking up the binoculars.

"Lori?" he began softly, placing his eyes on the binoculars and searching the woods. "You shouldn't think about it too much. I saw Rick do a lot of crazy shit back in Atlanta," he said with a little chuckle. "One thing he never did was die. Crazy bastard woke up from a coma and followed a trail he didn't even know would lead anywhere, only to find you and Carl at the end of it."

Lori stared at him as he spoke. She couldn't help but smile as he spoke of Rick's determination and hope. She shook her head and wondered how the hell he had managed to keep such strong faith. Even after all that's happened now, that man of hers was still keeping hope alive. She knew a part of him had his doubts, though. She saw slowly as that once hopeful gleam in his eye slowly faded into the abyss of what the world had become. And yet, Glenn's words made her remember that Rick wasn't just a hopeful man. Rick was a strong man. She knew he'd come back to her, just like he had before.

"Thanks," she replied softly, releasing a soft sigh of content. She then reached her hand over and gently pat his shoulder.

"Any time. After all, he saved my ass more than once. Wouldn't be much of a friend if I let his wife lose hope in him, now would I?" he said with that cheeky grin he did so well. Lori resisted the urge to punch him, giving him a soft smile instead.

A sort of calmness fell after their little chat. Glenn and Lori continued to talk among themselves, Shane glancing every so often in her direction. Dale kept his head in the engine until Andrea came out to join him, causing him to register a bit of shock at hearing her speak to him again. T-Dog stayed in the RV with Carl, playing some cards together. As for Carol, she remained there at the railing, peering into the dark with blurry, tear stained eyes. Her entire body tensed when she heard a sudden rustle in the bushes. Before she could call out to anyone, Daryl slunk his way out and over the railing, stopping next to her.

"Did you-" Carol began, staring at him with hopeful eyes. Her eyes darted behind him, hoping to see Sophia in tow. Her hope slowly started to fade as she brought her gaze back to him, not finishing the sentence she started as Daryl gave her a simple shake of the head. Before he had a chance to speak, Carol quickly darted off toward the RV with her shoulders slumped low in defeat.

Watching her stalk off like that put Daryl on the edge of uncomfortable. He gripped the sling of his crossbow and slowly made his way over to the head of the RV where Andrea and Dale stood. He wished he could have kept searching, but he wasn't stupid enough to stay out in the open after the sun went down. He just hated to see women start getting emotional in front of him. He wasn't good with tears, and he didn't know what to really say. All he knew was hunting, which is why he opted to go looking for Rick and Sophia alone.

Dale and Andrea glanced toward him with the same look Carol had had. It made him glance away immediately. He felt like everyone was depending on him to find them, and all he found was a dead end.

"Daryl?" called Lori from up top, leaning her body over the edge. "I see you didn't bring em' back, but you must have found somethin' out there, right?"

"Yeah," he replied as he cut his eyes up to the frail woman addressing him. "Followed em' to this little pond at the bottom of a steep hill. Found the two Walkers that chased the little girl, dead on the ground. Things got a little hard to follow after that."

As he spoke, Lori began to climb down the ladder on the side. She crossed her arms and walked toward him with a little hope in her eyes. "That's a good thing, right? The Walkers are dead. That means Rick and Sophia-"

"Don't mean shit," he said quickly, interrupting her. "There's a lotta things it could mean. Maybe Rick killed em', but it don't mean he got away alive. I can only read what I see. What I saw was two dead Walkers and two adult sized footprints."

Everything went silent as the information sunk in. Daryl didn't know what it meant. Rick could be just fine. Sophia could be just fine too. Or they could both have been taken by someone with bad intent. He tried to follow the tracks, but more Walkers came shuffling through his path and he had no choice but to double back to camp.

"I'll go back out in the mornin'. Ain't gonna get myself killed right now. Prints will still be there and I can see em' better too," he explained before walking away. His gaze traveled into the open door of the RV. Carl was sitting at the table and staring out as he passed by. He had heard everything, but there wasn't much on his face that gave away what he was thinking about it. Carl was a lot tougher than either Rick or Lori gave him credit for.

Daryl gave him a nod of recognition before moving over to a random car and parking himself on the hood. He shook his head at himself and wondered why he even cared so much about Rick or Sophia. Neither one of them were his responsibility. However, when his eyes fell onto the RV and he peered into the back window at Carol's shaking form, a little piece of him felt for her. Of course he wouldn't say it out loud. He didn't really say much in the way of feelings. He was much better at showing than telling.

He leaned back and stared toward the night sky, thoughts of Sophia and Rick flooding his head as the soft chatter of everyone rang around him. He'd just have to find them first thing in the morning before Dale or anyone else managed to fix the RV. He'd be damned if they left there without Rick or Sophia. And personally, he found himself preferring the company of Officer Friendly compared to Officer Sour Puss these days.

* * *

Hello again! Thank you for stopping by to read the second chapter of my story. I actually have chapters 3 and 4 already written, but I'm taking my time in getting them out. I want to make sure I'm ahead of myself. Anyway, this chapter isn't as exciting as the last. I hope I managed to keep in character for each of them and I can't wait to start getting to some Bethyl! I should let you know that this story isn't solely Bethyl. Yes, there's gonna be Glenn and Maggie too. But, even though it's under the romance genre, this story is gonna mostly be about Maggie and Beth inserting themselves into this new world with these people they just met. I want to delve into their relationship with each other, along with their relationships with everyone else. Of course Daryl and Glenn will get most of their attention, because I'm a romantic and I can't wait to write some fluffy goodness. For now, you must endure the horrible uncertainty of whether or not they'll be okay. I already know what happens, though. Perks of being the writer!


	3. The Separation

A steady stream of light came pouring through the dirty window. The small light shone upon Beth's face, but it wasn't what woke her. She felt someone gently shaking her by the shoulder. When she opened her eyes an inch, her vision managed a blurry image of her smiling sister.

"Bethie," she said softly as she leaned her face closer. "It's time to go. Sophia and Rick are ready. Rick is even gonna carry a bag for us."

"What a gentleman," she mused softly. She brought her hand to her eyes and gently rubbed her palm against them, trying to cast the blurry images of everyone away.

Maggie shook her head. "We'll be waiting outside for your royal highness," she said with sarcasm laced behind every word.

Slowly, Beth adjusted to the world and glared at her sister's retreating back. She turned her eyes to the ceiling for a moment before pushing into a sitting position. The shack they had been held up in for days hadn't had anywhere to sleep. Maggie and Beth had been just fine curled up on the floor, but Beth could see Sophia hadn't been very happy about sleeping on the wooden floorboards. Rick hadn't done too much sleeping, having helped Maggie with taking turns to keep watch. As soon as she walked outside with her bag around her shoulder, she noticed that they both looked worse for wear. She was tempted to say something about their lack of sleep, but a noise caught everyone's attention and a stray Walker stumbled out from behind a tree.

"Nothin' like Walker killin' early in the morning to get the blood pumpin'," muttered Maggie as she unsheathed a knife and made her way over to the creature. With one swift jab into the side of its head, the Walker was deemed nothing more than a waste of time.

"We better get movin' before it turns into five," declared Rick, taking Sophia by the hand.

Beth noticed that the little girl had instantly hidden behind Rick once she saw the Walker. She wished she could be so open about her fear. If she didn't worry so much about her sister, she'd probably be more worried about herself. There wasn't much reason to really worry about Maggie, though. Even running on two hours of sleep, she was still alert and focused. Rick was just as alert. He walked with his shoulders straight and his gaze intense. She wondered if it was possible to make the man anything but intensely focused right now.

"So," began Maggie, drawing a side glance from Rick. His stride never broke. "How many people you got in your camp anyway?"

"Including myself and Sophia, it makes eleven of us."

"Eleven?" repeated Maggie. "I suppose that's small. Bigger than what Beth and I are use to."

Rick came to a halt at the uneasiness in her tone. Sophia stopped in front of him, jerking his arm slightly after not noticing him stop. "If you're not comfortable with that number, you two don't have to stay with us. We can give you some extra supplies before ya go on your way."

"No!" said Beth before Maggie could answer. "I mean, she's just nervous. We both are. We've only had each other," she explained, ignoring the annoyed look Maggie was shooting in her direction. She was too busy trying not to let Rick's surprise at her addressing him with such determination bother her.

"What my sister means," interjected Maggie as she started to walk ahead of them. "She means that we're good with that."

Beth smiled sheepishly at Rick before quickly following directly on Maggie's heels. Rick was back into pace, deciding to let the conversation end there. Both Maggie and Beth released a sigh of relief, which neither one missed the other one doing. When Maggie glanced over her shoulder at her, she saw Beth's smile was still in place. It was weak, but at least it was enough to make Maggie smile a little in return.

Some time passed after the small exchange between them. Maggie came to a sudden stop in front of Beth, causing her to bump into her back. Maggie didn't lose her balance, though. She swayed slightly before turning her attention to Rick.

"This is where I met them. The road ain't too far from here, right?" she asked with uncertainty in her tone. Beth stared at her with confusion, knowing full well that Maggie knew the area better than most people knew their own hand.

"Yeah," he said as he slowly moved ahead with Sophia. Beth took a glance at the quiet girl as they passed her. "I'll take the lead from here."

As soon as Rick was out of earshot, Beth brought her gaze to her sister and stared at her intently. "Why did you lie?"

Maggie raised a brow at her. "I didn't lie about anything. I just asked a question."

"You lied. You know where the road is," she said more sternly than she meant to sound. Maggie was already beginning to follow after the other two. Beth quickly trotted behind her.

"There's a difference between lyin' and just not sayin' everything you know."

"Sounds the same to me," Beth muttered as she glanced away, earning a side glance of annoyance from her dear sister. Maggie didn't reply after that, so Beth assumed the case was closed. She suppose it wasn't that big a deal. Maybe Maggie really was as nervous as Beth thought. Maybe she was trying to buy some extra time by having Rick lead instead. If Maggie were the one leading, they'd be at the road before she had a chance to blink. Either way, everything felt foreign to her.

Rick and Sophia seemed nice, but that couldn't be a testimony to everyone else in their camp. People came in all shapes and sizes. For all the Greene sister's knew, they could be walking into a horde of murderers.

* * *

Daryl was feeling oddly refreshed as he made his way over to the edge of the road, and peered into the same spot everyone's eyes had been glued to ever since yesterday. He hadn't slept much last night. Not many of the group really did. Lori, Dale and Glenn had spent the whole night on the RV talking in whispers. Shane had spent the whole night brooding in his car. Carol had spent the whole night moving from the RV to where he stood now, which is where she was perched once more. The only people that managed to sleep at all were T-Dog, Andrea and Carl. T-Dog only did so because the pills Daryl had gave him knocked him out. Andrea and Carl kept going in and out of sleep, Carl more so than Andrea. Everyone was pretty exhausted and on edge.

He glanced to his side where Carol was standing, staring off into the distance with her arms crossed firmly. At least she wasn't crying anymore. Daryl wasn't sure whether to take that as a good thing or not. He would have wondered if she lost hope over night, but she wouldn't be standing there if she had.

Carol's gaze slowly turned toward him and their eyes locked for a moment. He quickly looked away, not letting her have a chance to see what sort of emotions were written in his eyes. It was easy to control his expression. Eyes, on the other hand, were always a dead give away to how he truly felt.

"Daryl," she began softly. He decided not to glance at her again. "Thank you for looking for her. For Rick and Sophia," she added with a glance toward the RV.

"Mmm," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, his eyes darting everywhere but to her face. "Gonna go out again," he added as he hopped over the railing.

"Okay," she said in that quiet little voice of hers. "Be safe."

Daryl didn't move very far. He slowly turned his head, finally meeting her eyes again. He wasn't the best judge when it came to words of concern. He hadn't heard very many in his lifetime. No one ever worried about him, or cared if he came back alive. However, he felt like Carol meant what she said, and wasn't just saying it because that was the thing people said.

"Yeah," he muttered before quickly turning away. "Ya'll try not to get into more shit here. Ain't gonna go chasing the whole camp through this damn forest," he added before quickly taking off. If he were brave enough to spare a glance, he would have noticed the smile Carol gave in return to his statement. He would never admit it, but that was his way of telling her and everyone else to stay safe too.

* * *

"Wait," Rick said softly, releasing his grip from Sophia and putting a hand out to stop Maggie and Beth. He felt a little relief in his hand. It was starting to feel a little numb and sweaty from Sophia gripping it so hard. "This doesn't seem right."

"Rick?" questioned Maggie as she glanced around. "Are you lost?"

Rick didn't answer. He turned his eyes around the foliage, looking anywhere but at Maggie and her knowing expression.

"It's okay if you are," she added quickly. "Just tell me. I'm sure we can back track and-"

"Maggie," he snapped in a sharp, quiet tone. His eyes finally landed on her face, and he gave her an apologetic expression for interrupting her. "I heard somethin'."

Sophia went tense and found herself clinging to Rick's arm. Maggie's expression went serious, and Beth tuned around to glance behind them. She backed up against Maggie's back, feeling her heart start to race at the familiar feeling that coursed through her. After spending a whole week on the run, she knew that fear was a motivation to stay alive. She knew running was the only thing she was good at right now. She narrowed her eyes and thought to herself how that would change the moment she had the chance. She wasn't going to let this fear consume her.

"Beth," whispered Maggie as the sound of moaning started to draw closer. "Take Sophia and get behind us." By that point, Maggie was now facing the same direction as Beth. Beth's back was now against her sister's torso as she spoke.

Beth didn't argue. She slowly moved away from her sister and over to the side where Sophia clung desperately to Rick. Rick turned around as well and gently peeled Sophia from his side. Beth took her little hand and swiftly moved behind them. It wasn't long before a few Walkers shuffled their way into view. Their rotting flesh and putrid odors instantly hit their nostrils. If the situation wasn't clear before, all the smells made it pretty clear what stood in front of them now.

Maggie and Rick pulled out their weapons, neither one being a gun. Maggie used her gun occasionally, like when she had saved Rick and Sophia. She wasn't the best shot in the world, though. She had some skills and could hit a slow moving target, but if the dead started walking any faster she'd be having a problem. Lucky for her, she wasn't using a gun today. There was no point in it. There was only four Walkers. It would be easy for her to take down two while Rick handled the other two. As if knowing exactly what she was thinking, Rick bounded forward and tried to gain the attention of the two Walkers on the far right. Maggie quickly took the other two on the left.

She didn't dare focus on anything else but the two dead bodies swaying back and forth in front of her. She held up the knife she had in her hand, and waited patiently for one of them to get close enough for her to attack. The one on the left was closet, and suddenly stumbled forward. It barred its decayed teeth and latched onto her shoulder with its cold, lifeless hands. She quickly thrust the knife into the side of its head and pulled it out with disgust, the blood and pieces of whatever brain was left having oozed out onto the hilt of the knife.

"Damn," she uttered under her breath. "Ruined my favorite knife."

With a grunt, she quickly pushed the body away and to the ground, just in time to be assaulted by the second Walker. It lunged at her quicker than she expected, causing her to stumble and fall onto the ground. Before she knew it, she was in a wrestling match for her life against a rather lanky looking dead guy. She was glad that it wasn't any bigger than that. She was able to restrain it with one arm. Its teeth were snapping viciously at her face, and its hands were flailing about with no where to go. She attempted to bring her knife up to its head, but its wild hand flung it away. For a moment, Maggie almost thought it did it on purpose.

"Maggie!" Beth practically shouted, clutching tightly onto Sophia as she buried her face into Beth's side. Beth's voice drew the attention of the Walker, giving Maggie enough time to push it off with her foot.

She hadn't notice what Rick was doing. She could see from the corner of her eye that he had taken care of his two Walkers. A curse slipped from her lips as she quickly bent down and snatched up her knife while the Walker regained its footing. However, her attention was quickly drawn to the sound of grotesque moaning behind her. She barely had a chance to react when she heard Sophia scream shrilly and Beth gasp loudly. She turned around to notice the danger they were in. Two Walkers were stalking toward them, and Rick was quickly running to help. However, neither one could get there in time. Rick was suddenly falling to the ground as a Walker grabbed his ankles, and Maggie had to turn to act before her Walker friend took a big bite out of her neck.

With one swift motion, Maggie turned on her heel and plunged the knife into the Walker's thick skull. For a small guy, he was pretty tough to take down. She had a fun time fidgeting the knife from its head before she could take action to help Beth and Sophia. When she turned around, however, Beth and Sophia were gone, and the Walkers were fresh on their heels.

"Rick!" she snapped as quietly as she could, not wanting to draw anymore attention.

Rick had just gotten back onto his feet, finally killing the Walker that had dragged him down. He swiped the dirt from his clothes before sheathing his knife. "Which way did they go? I didn't see anything."

"I don't know," she said frantically, panic starting to overwhelm her. Having her own life in danger was frightening, but knowing Beth was in danger was terrifying. "We should follow the footprints or somethin'."

"Right. Of course," he said as he vigorously nodded his head. Before he so much as took a step, another noise caught his attention. He drew his knife and was ready to attack when a figure emerged from around a tree, pointing an arrow at his throat. Maggie was quickly drawing her knife, but Rick held up his hands in surrender.

"Daryl," he said calmly as realization spread across Daryl's face.

"Holy shit," he said with a grin. He lowered his crossbow, giving Rick the chance to lower his knife and put it away. "Ain't this some shit. You really are alive."

"I'll take it that you're happy to see me."

"And I'll take it that you barely made it out alive," he said as he glanced around at all the dead bodies before resting his eyes on Maggie. "Who she?"

"This is Maggie. Saved our lives."

"Our?"

Maggie cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "I hate to be rude, but this isn't the time to chit chat. Walkers are after my sister and that little girl, and I would like to return to your camp with them both in one piece."

"Sophia..." uttered Daryl as he glanced back at Rick. "Wait, returnin' back to camp?" he questioned as his eyes darted back to her.

"It's a matter we can discuss back at camp. Right now, since you're here, mind takin' the lead in trackin'?"

Daryl shook his head before pushing past them and into more trees. He glanced down at the ground, taking in the different sets of prints in front of him. Two sets of prints were all over the place, while the other two were side by side and stretched out into long strides. From that he could tell they ran. They had had a head start, so maybe they'd be fine. Although, he wasn't one to declare hope in a time of crisis. He was usually the first to doubt. But, for the sake of Maggie, he decided not to express his usual quips of disbelief in all things. Instead, he remained quiet and alert, knowing full well that at least one of these girls walked with great determination to live.

* * *

I would like to thank everyone for their lovely comments thus far! I have replied in return to every single review I've gotten up to this point, except for the people that reviewed as a guest. Unfortunately, there isn't an option to reply back to a guest, so you people need to get accounts so I can appreciate you! Anyway, there's not much to say about this chapter. It's basically just a way to keep things exciting. It would be boring if they made it to camp and Beth and Daryl met like that. I already have chapter 4 written out, so I already know what's going to happen next! I'm actually very excited about chapter 4. It's my favorite so far, and not just because it's finally when Daryl and Beth meet. You'll see when you read it! I'm also working on chapter 5 right now. I have an idea in my head for what's going to happen there as well. I don't want to give too much away, but both Maggie and Beth will be interacting more with their future love interests! Nothing serious yet, because obviously this story is a slow one. I mean, it's taken 4 chapters for me to even get to Maggie and Beth meeting Daryl and Glenn. I'm just gonna stop talking now because I don't wanna blab any spoilers! If you're still reading this ridiculously long note, then I praise your patient soul!


	4. The Return

Beth wasn't sure when things had gotten out of hand. Both Rick and Maggie were wrapped up in putting down the dead men that had stumbled upon them. She tried to keep an eye out for anymore while they were busy. She also kept one eye on Sophia, afraid that she might bolt once given the chance. She seemed like she didn't really trust that the two adults could handle the situation, so Beth kept her hands planted firmly on the girl's shoulders. She also tried to keep her eyes on Maggie, just as afraid for her sister as she was for Rick and Sophia.

That always seemed to be the problem. Beth spent so much time worried about everyone else, she couldn't seem to worry about herself. Maybe that's why her attention was drawn fully to Maggie when the Walker overpowered her, leaving her no time to notice the two moving in toward her and Sophia. She only managed to realize the danger she was in when Sophia began shrieking, clinging to her for dear life. Life or death situations tend to make trust easier in strangers.

"Come on," she instructed as she quickly took Sophia by the hand, and then took off into the opposite direction the Walkers were coming from. It was only two, but they were fast. They were hot on their heels, making Beth completely aware of the weight of her own body. All she could think of was how she had to keep running. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care. She clutched tightly onto Sophia's little hand, her labored breathing steadily latching onto her ears.

"Sophia...can you climb?" she quickly asked her between heavy panting as they kept running as fast as they could. Her answer was a simple nod, that being all she could really manage. Beth came to an abrupt stop, only allowing Sophia a moment to catch her breath before Beth quickly hoisted her onto a low tree branch.

"Climb as fast as you can!" she shot at her, trying hard to ignore the sounds of shuffling feet in the dirt as the Walkers slowly caught up to them.

"But-" she began with wide eyes.

"Just go!" She then quickly began pushing Sophia upward by her feet. With one quick glance behind her, she saw the Walkers were closing in. They were in smelling distance, but their eyes hadn't quite noticed them. She was thankful for the tree that managed to block their view.

Taking in a deep breath, she brought her attention back to Sophia. She felt almost like smiling when she saw the girl had climbed up to a high branch. However, now was not the time to celebrate. She quickly grabbed a hold of the branch she made Sophia previously take, and then hoisted herself up. Her heart began to pound at the thought that she was almost safe. She managed to outrun two Walkers and get to a safe place, all without anyone's help. It wasn't as if she actually faced them down, but it was a start. She was surprised she even had that amount of calmness in her. She had been so focused on making sure Sophia was safe, she barely thought about her own safety.

Her little victory was short lived, though. As soon as she braced herself against the tree, the branch snapped from her weight and she fell onto the ground with a grunt. She would have been thankful for the fact it wasn't very high, but now the Walkers noticed she was there. She had been so quiet as she started her ascension up the tree, the Walkers had started to assume they weren't there and began to move on. With the new sounds provoking their killing instinct, their eyes darted around until they finally noticed her lying there.

Sophia stared down in horror as the Walkers moved closer. She wanted to scream, but knew that that would only draw their attention to her. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes at the fact that she couldn't do anything but watch.

Fear and panic began to fill Beth's body as she quickly pulled herself up. The only option was to run, but her feet weren't listening to her mind anymore. She felt completely numb by the fear, something she tried hard not to let take hold. She had been scared when the farm was overrun and she had to runaway. However, she hadn't been taken over by it then. She hadn't even let it register in her brain since this little chase began. Not until this very moment as the Walkers lunged at her. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for the excruciating pain. She didn't really know if the bite hurt that much. She'd never asked anyone that was bit how it felt. All she knew was the after effect of it. She hoped that if her sister managed to find her before they ate her, that maybe she would end it before she turned into a walking monster.

As soon as she gave into her fate, everything around her went deafening silent. There was a ringing in her ears. She wasn't sure where it came from. Maybe that was just the pounding of her heart in her chest, drowning out all the noise around her. It wasn't until she tried to open her eyes that she realized she had blacked out. She must have been really out of it, because she hadn't even felt anything when she hit the ground.

"Beth!?" came a voice in the blackness. Her hearing was slowly coming back, along with her memory of hearing Sophia scream. Instantly, Beth's eyes fluttered open with new found fear for the safety of someone she didn't even know.

"Sophia?" she blurted out without really thinking, her body quickly jolting out of her sister's arms.

Maggie stared at her with relief before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Thank God! For a moment there, I thought you were dead."

Beth blinked slowly before bringing her hand up to pat her sister on the arm. "If you keep hugging me like this, you might just succeed where the dead guys failed."

"I'm not even sorry," she uttered as she squeezed her a moment longer. After she was satisfied she had efficiently suffocated her in love, she put both her hands on her shoulders and pushed her away. "Sophia's fine, by the way. Rick had to climb up the tree to get her, though. She refused to come down even after we assured her they were dead."

Beth saw Maggie's eyes flutter to the right of them. Beth slowly followed her gaze over to the corpses, that only a moment ago were walking toward her with intent to kill. Her eyes zeroed in on the arrows that plummeted from the back of their heads, and for the first time, she realized that there was someone else there besides Rick and Sophia. Someone that was standing over the dead bodies and retrieving the arrows plunged into their heads. Her gaze slowly went to his face, but his eyes were on the arrows as soon as they were in his hands.

"This one had one thick skull," he mused to himself, noting the broken arrow. "Fucker."

"Daryl," scolded Rick as he placed his hands over Sophia's ears. "Guess it's kind of silly to be worried about young ears hearin' and repeatin' bad words. Although, not too sure on Maggie's stand for that."

Daryl shrugged, not too interested in the fact he was possibly corrupting young minds. He stood to his feet as Maggie helped Beth up onto her own.

"As far as I'm concerned, he can say what he likes. Saved Beth's life. Guess that makes us even?" she said with a glance toward Rick, a grin spreading across her lips.

Beth zoned out of the conversation at that point. Her eyes trailed toward Daryl, and her mind started to slowly recall the sounds she thought she hadn't heard before she blacked out. Sophia's screaming was the first thing that she remembered, but the second was the sound of something flying through the air and hitting hard into something fleshy. It was still hard to make out in her head. She wasn't even sure if the tiny sounds she thought she heard were really what she heard. Her head was still a little dizzy, so she decided to chalk the nonsense running through it up to the fact she had probably hit it on a rock when she passed out.

Beth hadn't realized how long she had been staring at Daryl and not saying anything, so his sudden action of clearing his throat startled her. "I know I'm pretty, but save the gawking for when we ain't in the open."

A blush slowly spread across her cheeks before she quickly averted her eyes. "S-sorry," she stammered out, feeling like such an idiot for staring at him for so long. "I was just thinking about how thankful I am you came along when you did..."

"Be thankful when we make it back to camp alive," he retorted before he walked past the sisters and into the trees. "C'mon. Ya'll probably get lost if I weren't here."

Beth glanced to Maggie, and Maggie glanced at her at the same time. She gave her her usual smile. The smile that assured her that things were okay right now. With a shrug of her shoulders, she started to follow after Daryl. Rick wasn't too far behind, his hand loosely around Sophia's and his face stern. Beth was starting to get the impression that he wore that face often. She didn't have to be a genius to know he was a serious guy, most likely the leader of the little group he'd mentioned. The same group Daryl was apart of. If the rest of the group was as stoic as the two men escorting her and her sister, she wondered how she'd last with them before she went mentally insane from the seriousness.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a small hand wrapped around her own. She glanced down and stared with surprise at Sophia's presence. Rick noticed her absence at the same time Beth realized she was by her side.

"I wanna walk with Beth," she declared, clutching her doll to her chest.

Rick raised a curious brow before letting that serious expression give way to a smile. "I guess that's alright. If Beth doesn't mind."

"Not at all," she replied quickly. Once again, she felt like an idiot and began to go red in the face. "I just like kids. They always tell the truth, you know? They can't help it."

Rick decided not to reply, leaving Beth to wonder if maybe he did think she was an idiot. She shook her head at the thought, knowing full well that that wasn't the case. He most likely just thought she was a silly kid, trying to pretend to be more mature than she was. After everything she'd seen lately, she felt ages older than she really was.

"Thank you for saving me," whispered a small voice at her side, causing her to lose her train of thought.

"Wh-" Beth began with confusion, only to remember how she had pushed Sophia up that tree earlier. "Oh. No problem. I'm just glad everything worked out and you're okay."

For the first time since she met her, Sophia's lips curled into a smile. "I believe good things happen to good people. You saved me and Daryl saved you."

Beth couldn't help but smile back at her, realizing just how true her statement to Rick was now. Kids really did know how to say it best. Some would probably argue to her that she was a kid, but she certainly didn't feel like it. She had her little moments, especially when Maggie was being extra bossy. But, in that one moment when it had been just her and Sophia, Beth felt like she wasn't just a seventeen year old teenager. Sophia was depending on her to protect her, and she managed to almost get herself killed while doing just that. She hadn't done something mind blowing, but she felt like she had stepped up when it mattered. The feeling washed over her and made her feel that little victory again. It was amazing how in just one day, she had been through more emotions than she'd ever been through in a week of her old life.

For the remainder of the walk, Beth tried to keep Sophia occupied with a game of I Spy_,_ even though the only thing they could spy was trees and more tress. Rick remained in his focused demur, only speaking to occasionally kill the silence. He refused to say anything about Beth or Maggie staying with the group. Daryl decided not to ask, since it wasn't really his problem how many more people tagged along. As long as he wasn't dragged into an all out chase through trees like this again, he was just fine with Mary Sunshine and her big sister joining them on the ride to nowhere. The only person that would really have a problem with it was Shane. Although, he imagined Maggie Greene would probably make him get over it real fast. She seemed like she was a woman that could take on the world. However, he certainly wasn't going to compliment her out loud. Nor was he going to give her little sister any props for thinking about Sophia's safety over her own. He'd leave that up to Carol.

* * *

The sun was still bright in the sky as Dale checked the forest edge for what seemed like the billionth time.

"They aren't gonna appear any faster, Dale," remarked Glenn. He had been perched at Dale's side for most of the day. Dale had been up since early that morning, not having really gone to bed. He was able to see Daryl off when he rose early to head back into the woods.

"Maybe you should get some rest. I can take over for a while," Glenn added with a smile. "Don't need you falling off the roof of the RV in a stupor."

"Have I ever told you that you're a funny guy, Glenn? The funniest ever," he replied dryly, sarcasm laced in every word.

"I know. I'm a real hoot at Bachelor parties."

Dale wasn't sure why his comment made him laugh. It wasn't even all that funny. It really didn't even make much since. Still, Dale laughed as he made his way over to the ladder and climbed down to the pavement below. His deep laughter faded as he made his way inside and took a seat in the driver's seat. He settled into the chair and soon drifted off to sleep. At the moment, Lori and Carl were occupying the bed. The two had stayed up all night with Dale, keeping him company as he watched for another herd and their missing group members. Andrea was on the streets now, her gun back together and in her hands. She was practicing her aiming, making sure not to shoot any bullets. T-Dog was up and about, feeling much better since Daryl had given him those pills the other day. He decided to spend his time at the edge of the road, standing by Carol's side. She had been in and out from sleep last night, but her feet seemed rooted to that spot.

As for Shane, he had spent his time gathering his own supplies. With everyone's attention on Rick and Sophia, no one even noticed he wasn't around that much. Well, almost no one noticed. Carl watched him constantly, and even tried to talk to him that morning. He brushed him off, tired of playing the run around with Lori and Carl. Honestly, he was tired of the whole damn group. He was tired of Rick most of all. It was no secret that he blamed him for everything that had happened at the camp. His entire existence ruined everything. He ruined the camp, he stole his role as leader, and he destroyed the relationship he had built with Lori. He knew Lori wasn't his, but he couldn't help the way he felt. The things they'd done together meant more to him than the rest of this God forsaken world.

_"How could she just throw it all away?" _he thought bitterly as he leaned against a random car. He wanted nothing more than to try and make things right, but there was nothing to fix. Rick was Lori's husband, and Shane was just there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. He was so blinded by his affections that he hadn't really realized that it was merely an act of need, rather than an act of love for him. He should have known it wouldn't last...

"Guys! They're back!" came Glenn's excited voice, drawing Shane away from his thoughts and toward the tree line where Carol and T-Dog stood. Almost instantly, everyone began to crowd around the edge of the road where Rick, Sophia, Daryl and two strangers were emerging. No one seemed to acknowledge their existence since Lori and Carl were too busy hugging Rick, and Carol was too busy squeezing Sophia to her like her life depended on it.

"Thank the Lord," she sobbed against the little girl's hair. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Sophia also began to shed tears of her own, beyond happy to be back in her mother's arms. With all the crying she'd been doing, she wasn't sure she was able to cry anymore. But, when Carol pulled away and cupped her face, Sophia cried even more at seeing her mother's loving smile.

"Thank you," she said as her gaze slowly drifted to Rick and Daryl. "Thank you both for saving her."

"Eh," replied Daryl with a shrug of his shoulders. He quickly turned away from her, not really sure how to react to her attention. He was glad she didn't declare him some kind of hero. He definitely wouldn't know what to say to that. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to accept that kind of praise.

Rick, on the other hand, accepted it with a smile. He was probably use to being a hero, given his former position in the world. After all, the police were suppose to be heroes. You wouldn't hear his older brother praising the law enforcement too much, but it wasn't as if Merle really had a good standing in the world. With all the times he spent in a jail cell, it was no wonder he flipped his shit on Rick when they first met. Cops weren't his friends by any means.

Suddenly, all attention was on Shane as he cleared his throat. "I'm glad Sophia's fine and all that, but who the hell are these girls?"

All eyes turned to Maggie and Beth, as if they were just seeing them for the first time. Given all the excitement over the return of Rick and Sophia, it appeared that that was exactly the case.

"That's Maggie and Beth," spoke Rick as he gently pulled away from his family and walked over to Maggie's side. "Maggie killed those Walkers, so I offered to let her sister and her come with us."

"You've gotta be kiddin' me," retorted Shane with a snort.

"I'm not really a joker these days," he replied crossly, his eyes solely on Shane. He knew this was going to be a topic of discussion. He knew he'd have trouble convincing the group to let two strangers tag along with them. He just didn't think it was going to be the first thing they talked about once he arrived back. However, Shane's jaw was set and he wanted nothing more than to discuss it.

"We ain't got room for two more people. We barely got room for the people we have."

"We'll make room. I'm not leaving them out there alone."

"Man, you're way too soft. Think you can save everyone! Certainly didn't save Amy!" he shouted, and almost instantly everyone's eyes turned in Andrea's direction. However, they returned back to Shane as he continued his onslaught of rage. "Didn't save Jim or Jacqui either!"

Rick's lips went into a straight line as he continued to face him down. Everyone was standing around them, uncertain of what to say. Some weren't really sure if they should say anything.

After what seemed like an eternity, Maggie cleared her throat and put an arm around Beth's shoulders. "It's fine, Rick. I can tell when I ain't wanted. I don't wanna make us a problem."

"You ain't a problem," Rick responded sharply. "You should at least stay with us until the RV is runnin' again."

"They should stay with us for good!" shouted Sophia, surprising everyone. Carol stared down at her little girl. She was still wrapped up in her arms, her tears subsiding since the argument began. All eyes were on her now. It wasn't often Sophia spoke. Actually, she was a remarkably quiet child compared to most. She talked to Carl and her mother, but she never really spoke out of term. It made Rick smile to hear her defending these strangers to a group of adults.

"Beth saved me. She's my friend," she said as she gently pulled away from Carol and went over to Beth and Maggie. "They both saved me. They're nice and you can't make them leave!" she said defiantly as she turned to face Shane head on.

"Kid's got some balls," muttered Daryl, who had managed to actually stay throughout the whole ordeal. He usually fled once Shane and Rick started having one of their spats. However, he found himself lingering near the small crowd that had gathered.

All eyes were on Shane now, awaiting for him to take his anger out on Sophia. Carol came to her side and was staring him down, daring him to argue with the logic of her daughter. Daring him to actually say something and give her a reason to bring her mother's wrath down upon him. He threw his hands up in the air in defeat before turning on his heel. He didn't say another word as he stomped away, disappearing behind a few cars. As soon as he was out of sight, Sophia smiled weakly. She was proud that people actually listened to her. She was proud that Beth and Maggie got to stay with them. Most of all, she was proud that she got a compliment from Daryl Dixon. She glanced toward him with her smile, and she actually saw a hint of a smile on his lips in return.

"Sophia," began Carol as she bent down to face her. "You're so brave. You're brave to stand up to everyone like that."

"She sure was," added Rick before putting his hand on Maggie's shoulder. "So?" he prompted her, hoping she got what he was trying to say without actually having to say it.

"Will we stay?" she offered to him. He nodded in return. "As long as Mr. Moody keeps his distance, then I don't think we got a problem. Otherwise, I might have to stab him. Especially if he says somethin' to my sister."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Rick said softly. He tried hard to hide the cringe that followed, feeling that Maggie certainly would stab Shane if he even so much as looked at her funny.

"Hey," interrupted Lori as she walked over to Beth's side. "Let me get you two somethin' to eat. We don't have much, but we ain't stingy."

The sisters glanced at each other before following Lori off to the RV. The rest of the group dispersed. Glenn resumed his post on the RV, but his eyes couldn't help but occasionally glace toward the newcomers. Andrea and T-Dog decided to do a walk around the area for any Walkers. Carol wanted to spend some time with Sophia, but Carl wanted to play a game to cure his boredom. She settled for watching them while Lori tended to the sisters. Dale tried to get back to sleep in his bed this time. Rick joined Glenn on the top of RV and did a scan of the area, since Glenn's focus wasn't entirely on keeping watch. As for Daryl, he distanced himself from everyone and went to work trying to fix his arrows.

He saw everyone out of the corner of his eye. He saw them all slowly start to settle down from all the excitement and get back into some sort of routine. Shane, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen at that point. Daryl shook his head at that, knowing he was probably sulking for getting told off my an eleven year old girl. As soon as he thought of said girl, his eyes looked up in her direction. He wasn't sure why, but he was glad she was okay. He was glad they were all okay, especially Rick. For some reason, the guy seemed to keep everyone in some sort of order. Well, almost everyone. Shane certainly didn't follow anyone's order but his own. And as for Daryl, he would sometimes follow orders if he felt he had to.

Then his gaze traveled from Sophia to Maggie and Beth. He wasn't sure what to think of either of them, but he knew for certain that their arrival was something that shook up the entire foundation of their little group. The only one really bothered was Shane, but he suspected everyone else would probably start questioning them once the high of Rick and Sophia's return wore off. He didn't know what would happen once the RV was fixed and they hit the road again. Hell, he was certain none of them knew where they were going. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the need to stick it out with them. He only hoped it didn't crash and burn in the end, much like many other things had in his life.

His eyes rested solely on Beth for a moment before he averted his eyes to the ground. "These people just might be the death of me..." he muttered to himself.

* * *

Nothing else was running through his head as he ran as fast as his old legs could take him. His breath was labored, and he feared his heart would give out at this rate. He wasn't as spry as he use to be, but he somehow managed to get away. Of course it helped that Otis put himself between him and the dead. It was a noble gesture, but one that Hershel knew would haunt him later. Otis' last words were still ringing in his head.

_"Ya gotta try to find em'! Ya gotta find Maggie and Beth. Live your life."_

Hershel slowly came to a stop and leaned his hand against a tree for support. He bent over and tried to catch his breath, the sounds of moaning long gone. Patrica and Jimmy had already been taken by time Otis and Hershel realized saving the farm was hopeless. He was glad he had told Maggie and Beth to run before things had gotten too bad. He didn't know how well he'd have been able to protect them. He couldn't even protect himself in the end.

He quickly swiped his hand over his face before glancing around. He knew the woods as well as anyone. He knew Maggie was fairly acquainted with the surroundings as well. If he knew his daughter as well as he thought he did, then he knew she'd try and linger in the woods for as long as she could. She'd probably stick around as close to the farm as she could, just in case God gave them a miracle and her family made it out okay. Maybe this was God's way of giving him another chance. He had gotten so close to death, yet he managed to miss it by a hair on his head.

"I'm gonna find em'," he uttered as he pulled himself up straight. "I'm gonna find em' and we'll start over. I won't screw up this time."

* * *

Bet you guys weren't expecting this in your e-mail today! I was actually planning on doing this much earlier, like yesterday. However, time got away from me and I didn't get around to it. Anyway, I know some of you expressed how excited you were for this chapter after my last note. I did mention this is my favorite chapter, and I'm sure you can all see why now! Hershel is still alive and Sophia told Shane off! I'm also very happy about Beth and Sophia's friendship and interactions in this chapter. I plan to explore more of that later on, because I just feel like Beth will always kind of be a babysitter. A kick ass babysitter, but a babysitter nonetheless. I just like that about her. I always liked her relationship with baby Judith, so I feel like she'll have something similar to that with Sophia. I'm not sure yet if Judith will be making an appearance in this fan fiction or not. I'm gonna be honest with you all. I don't really think ahead with my stories, but I do have a ton of ideas that may or may not get used. We'll just have to see how the chapters unfold.


	5. The First Watch

It was dawn, and a light breeze was flowing through. Rick had decided that it was a good time as any to start moving the few cars that blocked their way on the road. He gathered the assistance of Daryl and Glenn before going over to Shane's car. He had been keeping to himself a lot lately, staying holed up in that car. Lori told him that while he had been gone, he barely made an attempt to talk to anyone. Rick wasn't sure what to think about his sudden attempt to distance himself from everyone, especially Rick himself. They had been friends for a long time. He didn't understand how all the things that had happened in the last few weeks had made such a strain between them.

As soon as he reached the car, he noticed Shane was nowhere to be seen. A sudden panic came over him, afraid that he'd gone off on his own. Suddenly, his foot hit against something a little soft. He looked down to see Shane pop his head out from under the car, his hand gently rubbing the spot where Rick had accidentally kicked him.

"Sorry about that. Didn't know you were down there."

"It's fine, man," he replied quickly, a sharp tone in his voice. He grabbed the edge of the car and pulled himself out. He slowly pushed himself onto his feet before noticing Daryl and Glenn a ways off. Daryl looked as stoic as ever, while Glenn was yawning excessively.

Rick glanced over to them before clearing his throat. "Thought we'd clear the road today. Dale told me last night that he's not too far off from fixin' that hose."

"Oh yeah?" he asked with disdain. He turned his back to him, giving a shrug. "I got some stuff to do. Don't think I can help ya today."

Rick stared intently at the back of Shane's head once he turned away. He was fairly tempted to burst into an argument, but instead turned away and walked over to Daryl and Glenn. He released a sigh of frustration, finding Shane's attitude to be both annoying and perplexing. It was the end of the damn world! They all had to pitch together and pull their weight, otherwise what was the point anymore? Rick couldn't believe that just one little conversation with Shane drove him to the point of wanting to bash his fist into a wall. He decided to let the fact that tensions were running high be his excuse.

"I guess I have to actually push then?" chimed Glenn tiredly, flashing them both a smile in hopes of lightening the mood. Daryl wasn't much of a smiling person, and Rick was just too exhausted.

"I can help," came Maggie's voice as she descended the steps of the RV. Instantly, all three men were staring at her like she just sprouted a second head. "C'mon, boys. I've got plenty of muscle to rival any one of you," she added, flexing her arm for good measure.

Rick gave a little chuckle before turning away. "That you do. Let's go then."

With a shrug, Daryl silently followed Rick over to the first car. Maggie wasn't too far behind, leaving Glenn to follow at the rear. He couldn't help but stare intently at Maggie's backside as she walked ahead of him. He quickly snapped them up to the back of her head, feeling embarrassed at eyeing her up and down like that. After all, he barely knew Maggie, or what happened to her to lead her here. All he knew was that she was extremely forward. He never really had much experience with women before all of this happened, and he expected he'd never have much of a chance now. But in that moment when he looked at her without her noticing, he felt like maybe he did have some kind of chance. His mind was secretly creating visions of him actually talking to Maggie. Getting to know Maggie. Kissing Maggie.

He quickly shook his head, not entirely sure why he had made Maggie the focal point of his fantasies. _"Well, she's the first woman I've met that isn't married, someone's mother, or someone I consider a good friend. It's probably just my stupid urges making a point..."_

"Glenn?" came the voice of the very woman on his mind. "That's your name, right? Ya still in there, or are you floatin' in your own world somewhere? We got a lotta cars to move, so pick it up."

"Oh. Right!" he said urgently before going to the right side of the car and opening the back door. Daryl was on the opposite side of the car, gripping onto the door in the same fashion as him, while Rick and Maggie took the back of the car. Before they began pushing, Glenn couldn't help but notice the look Daryl shot at him through the open space of the backseat. Glenn glanced back at him in return, hoping he looked somewhat intimidating enough to make Daryl not question his sudden obedience to Maggie. However, he was pretty sure he looked more confused than anything else.

Grunting and the sound of rubber against pavement filled the air as they pushed the car with all their might. It didn't take much time to push the car to the side of the road once they got a good momentum. It rolled into the grass and came to a halt once it hit the railing that stretched along the edge of the road.

"Excellent!" chimed Glenn as he did a mini celebration dance to himself with his hands.

"Don't get too excited," began Maggie as she sauntered past him. "Still got eight more cars to move. Maybe even more."

Glenn shifted his gaze toward her as she walked over to the next car. "I'm not too concerned. We've got a lot of light, and I could honestly push cars in my sleep."

Maggie put one hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side, her eyes lazily scanning over him. "I'm not sure about that, but I'm sure I could name a few other things you could do in your sleep."

Before he had a chance to retort, Maggie turned toward the next car and readied herself to push it. Daryl simply shook his head before taking his place at the car door like before. Rick found himself trying to hide an amused grin as he observed Glenn's shocked expression. He avoided eye contact as he took his place at Maggie's side, leaving Glenn still standing there with his mouth hanging open.

"Better close your mouth if ya don't wanna end up swallowing a fly," came a soft voice at his side. When he finally regained his composure and took a glance to his right, he noticed Beth standing there. Her hands were behind her back as she stared at him out of the corner of her eye. She was trying extremely hard not to giggle, but all Glenn could focus on was the fact that Beth had just popped up out of nowhere.

"Where did you come from? Didn't even hear you walk over," he said softly as he placed a hand over his face. He wasn't sure if he was blushing or not, but he was mostly just too embarrassed to make eye contact with anyone right now.

"I just walked over. Guess you were distracted," she said innocently. She didn't mean to tease him, especially since her sister seemed to be doing an okay job at it herself.

"Uh-huh," he replied awkwardly. "Is there something you want?"

"Not particularly. Just watchin' the show," she added with a mischievous grin.

It was in that very moment that Glenn realized Walkers were going to be the least of his troubles. Now that the Greene sisters were here, he was more than certain that they were going to try and make every waking moment of his life pure hell. He didn't know them very well yet, but he could just sense they were trouble in every sense of the word. From the way he stopped in his tracks at her words, it was obvious that Maggie was going to be the worst for him.

"Beth!" chimed two little voices from where the RV stood not too far away. As soon as she glanced in that direction, Sophia and Carl waved at her to come play with them.

"Guess I'll just catch a late show," she said with a wink before turning on her heel.

Beth walked back over to the RV and was immediately grabbed by the children. They quickly pulled her into the RV to do whatever it is children usually did in apocalyptic circumstances. The only difference now is that they had Beth to force into playing their games. Carl and Sophia seemed to relate to her more than anyone else in the group. Maybe it was because she was still so young. Or maybe it was because she actually paid attention to them when they spoke. Either way, she had quickly became their babysitter once Carol and Lori realized they liked her so much.

Glenn turned his attention back to Rick, Daryl and Maggie as she cleared her throat. "I give you permission to tell my sister off next time she distracts you."

"She wasn't that distracting," he replied as he took his place. "Not as distracting as you," he said without thinking it through. As soon as he saw the look she gave him, he instantly turned his head and began stuttering out an apology. He knew he wasn't very good at keeping secrets, but he never thought he'd betray his own secret thoughts.

Daryl and Rick exchanged a look as Maggie began chuckling. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that was your way of sayin' I'm pretty."

"No!" he shot before grabbing the car door. "Can we just focus on the car now? Please!?"

"As long as I don't distract you with my body too much, Glenny," she retorted in a rather saucy tone.

Rick lowered his head and tried hard not to lose it, finding the situation beyond humorous. It was the first time in a long time he had ever found anything remotely funny. Hell, even Daryl was trying hard not to laugh at the way Glenn avoided eye contact with everyone. He could tell that his face was red all over. Maggie's last comment was truly his undoing, and Daryl was certain that he wished he could run and hide on top of the RV for the rest of the day. As a matter of fact, that was exactly what Glenn did once they finished pushing all the cars in their way onto the side of the road. The rest of their time together was relatively uneventful after that. Rick was too busy trying not to laugh, Daryl got over it pretty quickly, Maggie was too busy sending Glenn amused looks, and Glenn was too busy trying to avoid staring at her anymore than he had to. All and all, it was the best day they'd had as a group so far. Everyone seemed in a good mood, except for Shane, who was still too busy doing imaginary things to pay anyone any attention.

"I think we'll stay here for one more night," announced Rick to everyone once they were all gathered together around the RV. "I guess I'll take watch with Daryl," he added with a glance toward Daryl. His only response was a shrug.

Before Rick could continue, Beth cleared her throat and drew everyone's attention to her. She almost lost her nerve when everyone's eyes were on her, but she quickly sucked it up and said what she had on her mind.

"Mr. Grimes, I'd like to volunteer my sister and I for watch. If that's okay?"

Rick stared at her for a moment before glancing around at everyone else. No one seemed to have anything to say otherwise. "I don't see why not. As long as Maggie doesn't mind."

Maggie shrugged her shoulders before glancing at her sister. Beth wasn't sure if she was angry about it, but she was sure Maggie would let her know once they were alone.

"Now that that's settled, who wants to eat beans for dinner tonight?" he asked as a lopsided grin began to form on his lips.

"Just as long as Dale doesn't eat too many," piped in Andrea, a soft smile spreading over her lips. "If I'm sleepin' in the same space as him, I don't wanna smell him again like I did last night!"

"It wasn't that bad," he replied with a smile of his own, causing everyone to laugh. Dale laughed along with them. Partly because he enjoyed the fact he made everyone's day, and partly because he was happy that Andrea was finally starting to come back to them. It was definitely hard on him most of all. He didn't mean to force Andrea's hand like he had, but he truly adored Andrea like a daughter. He was so upset when she said she wanted to end her life at the CDC. He was even more upset that she had pushed herself away from him after it. He knew she hadn't been quite the same since Amy's death at the camp, but now she was starting to open up again. At least she was smiling and talking to him again. It wasn't the hugest leap, but it was definitely a start toward surviving.

After a few more laughs, Lori and Carol prepared the meal inside the RV. Despite the tiny living space, everyone was pretty thankful for that RV. It had a working stove and shower, which everyone used at least once a week. Maybe even every other week. It was hard to keep track anymore. No one really knew what day it was, let alone when a week passed.

Most everyone ate a little before going off to do their own thing. Shane stayed to himself. He actually managed to come over for a bite to eat, but then immediately retreated once he had his food. It was becoming more obvious by the day that he no longer considered himself apart of the group. Rick was certain that in the morning he'd have to confront him about whether or not he was even coming with them now that the RV was fixed, the information only reaching him after dinner. Lori had mentioned to him once they were alone that he was planning on leaving. He wasn't sure what he felt about it yet. He wasn't sure if he'd actually be able to feel anything about it at all. With how distant Shane had been lately, it was hard for Rick to try and remember ever getting along with the man. Hell, he seemed to be getting along better with Daryl than with Shane. It was odd to him because Shane had been his friend for so many years, and now he felt like he barely knew him anymore.

Rick decided that it was best not to dwell on some things for too long. Tomorrow he'd talk to Shane about what his plans were, but for now he planned to get a good night's sleep with Lori and Carl. However, most everyone else decided that they wanted to get some sleep that night as well. It ended with the RV being more cramped than usual. Rick decided to be a gentleman and let Lori, Carl, Carol and Sophia share the bed together while he slept on the floor with Glenn and T-Dog. Dale and Andrea, however, were still wide awake and sitting in the driver and passenger seats at the front of the RV. They were trying to keep watch from their vantage point, but they mostly just spent their time talking in hushed tones.

While everyone attempted to catch some sleep, Daryl was sitting on the hood of a car and messing with his bolts. Beth and Maggie were on the top of the RV as planned, their voices carrying down to where he set. He wasn't really one to eavesdrop on conversations, but they weren't really making an effort to be quiet.

"Why did you volunteer us to keep watch? You do know if anything happens, I'll just throw you into the RV. I'm not lettin' you fight," she said sternly.

"I did it because I thought we should make a greater effort to thank everyone for letting us stay. Rick stuck his neck out for us when he didn't have to."

Maggie stared intently at her sister as she stared out the binoculars Dale had left there. She was sitting on the edge of the RV, her legs dangling on the side. She swung them back and forth in the air, but never once letting the heels of her feet hit the side of the RV. Sometimes Maggie wondered how the hell she was related to Beth. They were so different in so many ways. Where Beth believed that people were still good, Maggie believed that there was an equal balance of evil to squash it out. There was no doubt that Beth was already attached to this group. She tended to get more attached to things than Maggie. Maggie sincerely hoped things worked out, but she didn't have as much faith as her little sister. She had believed the farm was safe and their father was right about the undead just being sick, and now the farm was gone and Maggie had no idea whether her father made it out alive or not. She knew Beth believed he was okay somewhere, but Maggie didn't want to get her hopes too high.

"Beth, I don't think you should get too attached to these people," she said softly as she reached her hand over and placed it on her shoulder. "Ya gotta remember that it's just you and me. That's how it'll always be for now on."

Beth pulled the binoculars from her eyes and glanced toward Maggie with a look of determination. "You're wrong. It's not just us anymore."

"Bethie," she said more sternly. "I just don't want you to start carin' about them, and then something happens to them. I don't want you to be sad."

"I care about you," she said sharply. Maggie's gaze soften slightly at her words. "Maggie, dying isn't really something new. It just happens more often than it use to. Unfortunately, pain is just somethin' we all have to deal with once we care about someone."

Maggie released a soft sigh as she let her hand fall into her lap. "When did you get so wise?"

Beth smiled deviously at her, her eyes beaming with delight. "Maybe about the same time you got really flirty with Glenny."

Instantly, Maggie's face turned red and she averted her eyes. "I don't know what you're talkin' about."

Beth couldn't help but chuckle softly at her defensive reply. She decided to leave it at that. She got to her feet and crawled on all fours over to the ladder. Maggie didn't ask her where she was going, so Beth assumed she was embarrassed by the fact Beth was right about Maggie's obvious attempt to flirt.

As she made it to the pavement below, Beth was suddenly overcome with annoyance. Thinking about Maggie's actions toward Glenn after Maggie had just told her not to get attached to anyone here, made her want to scream. She'd never actually say it to her face, but Maggie was always being a hypocrite. She assumed Beth was far more sensitive about everything than her. She couldn't deny that she sometimes got a bit more emotional, but she was a teenager after all. It was her right to be hormonal.

She shook her head and turned on her heel. She decided to push those thoughts away, knowing Maggie didn't mean to pull a double standard. She knew she was overcompensating now. Maggie was trying to be her sister and her mother all at once. She had tried to be motherly when their mother passed away, but she never laid it own quite as thick since Hershel was there. Now that it was just them, Maggie just assumed Beth needed someone to tell her what to do and when to do it.

_"Well, I'm not a baby anymore,"_ she thought bitterly as she quietly made her way into the RV to use the bathroom. That had been the whole reason she'd came down here. After she finished her business, she walked outside and glanced up toward the roof. She narrowed her eyes and walked past the ladder, deciding to let Maggie sit by herself for a while. She knew if she went up there right now, she'd just end up sulking the entire night and not explaining why.

As soon as Beth walked around to the back of the RV, she nearly jumped out of her skin at seeing Daryl sitting there. She hadn't expected to see anyone else outside. She knew Shane kept far away from the group, so she knew he was out and about doing God knows what. She honestly didn't want to know.

"Hey," she said softly. She wasn't sure what to say to him exactly. He hadn't said much to her since she joined the group. Actually, she hadn't seen him say much to anyone since she joined. He had spoken when they were in the woods, but most of the time he just made sarcastic quips or serious comments. It was a strange combination, but he managed to keep his sarcasm in check; for the most part.

"Hey," he replied in return, sparing her a glance. He went right back to messing with his crossbow, though.

She clasped her hands together behind her back before moving over to him. She came to a stop right in front of him, giving him no choice but to stop what he was doing and look up at her. He could have ignored her, but then that would have just left everything feeling more awkward than it needed to be.

"What are you doing?" she asked in such a serious tone that he had no choice but to answer.

"'M re-stringin' my crossbow. Sometimes the string gets too loose."

"Is it hard to use if it's loose?"

Daryl stared at her for a long moment before placing his crossbow aside. "Is there a reason you're askin' me about crossbow dynamics? Got plans to try and steal mine or somethin'?" he asked with one brow raised.

Beth shook her head before a red tint spread across her cheeks. The little blush didn't go unnoticed by him, but he decided not to say anything. "I'm just striking up conversation."

"Then you're talkin' to the wrong guy," he uttered gruffly before sliding off the hood and standing to his feet in front of her. "I don't do a lot of conversation."

"How about listening then?" she offered as she backed away slightly.

He noticed her retreat, and reciprocated by moving closer. He always found that he was more intimidating when he invaded people's personal space. It usually made them forget everything they were saying and leave him be. He could tell that this conversation wasn't going to end simply by him saying he hated talking. It wasn't so much that he hated it, he just preferred not to stick out anymore than he needed to. He didn't mind tagging along with this group. He decided a long time ago that it was better than nothing, even if they were more dramatic than a room full of teenage girls. He really had nothing better to do, given the fact that there was nothing left in the world to do. However, it was moments like these that made him miss the days when it was just Merle and him. Neither one of them liked sharing their feelings, so they never really shared anything other than insults. Now here he was, sitting on an abandoned road and talking to some teenage girl. She looked like she was about to start talking about her feelings. Judging from the conversation she was having with her sister on the roof, he certainly didn't want to become her therapist.

When Daryl moved closer, however, Beth just stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. Either she was really oblivious, or she just wasn't scared of him. He really hoped it was the former, because he wasn't sure he could take the fact that this girl wasn't intimidated by him. If she wasn't frightened by his sneer, that only meant she'd try and talk to him more.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

Daryl's face instantly went from an angry scowl to confusion. "For what?"

"For savin' me, duh," she said with a roll of her eyes.

Now he was pretty sure his face was registering surprise. He wasn't sure when he'd ever had so many emotions happen in a matter of five seconds.

"Must be a family thing," he uttered, causing Beth to raise a brow. At least he wasn't the only one confused now. "This whole attitude thing. You and your sister sure have a lot of it."

Beth slowly narrowed her eyes, but Daryl wasn't sure if her expression was annoyed or thoughtful. It seemed more like a mixture of both. "I guess I should be glad we do. With as much attitude that you and your group has, we're gonna need all the sass we can get."

Daryl wasn't sure what to say to that. He was pretty sure his face was back to confusion, so he decided it was better not to respond. Then Beth started to giggle, and he suddenly had a feeling that she was mentally insane. Before he really had a chance to say anything, she was gone in a flash. He almost wanted to believe his mind imagined the whole thing, but that little giggle was hard to imagine. There wasn't very many reasons in his past or in his present to have a giggle engraved in his memory.

He scratched the back of his head before sitting back down on the hood of the car and picking up his crossbow. He wasn't sure what just happened, but he suddenly had a feeling that Beth Greene was going to be his permanent nightmare. His mind suddenly offered that at least it was a pretty nightmare, which he quickly scolded himself for even thinking. Oh yes, Beth Greene was going to become one pretty nightmare...

* * *

Before I get into this chapter, I must tell you all that I have worked out in my head where I want this story to go and what will most likely happen. I might change things if I feel they'll work better that way, but that's not really anyone's concern but mine. I'm thinking that this story will at least be 20 something chapters long, so it won't be over for quite some time. As for this chapter, I did promise a Bethyl and Gleggie moment! I know it isn't much for Bethyl right now, but Daryl is a lot harder than Glenn to win over. I mean, he met Maggie one day and was bonking her in the barn the second night. Or at least he tried to! Anyway, I promise there will be better moments later on. Right now I really enjoy her messing with him, and him just being extremely confused as to what to even think of this girl!


	6. The Estate

No one really knew how long they had been sitting on that road, waiting for Dale or Glenn to figure out the RV situation. Now that the RV was finally fixed and everyone was safe, a new predicament was staring Rick in the face. Not only did he not know where the heck they were going, but he was woken early that morning to the sound of everyone talking urgently. He pushed himself into a sitting position on the floor where he had slept the night before. After taking a moment to get himself adjusted to being awake, he walked outside to find everyone standing in a circle. They began to settle down once Rick approached them.

"What's goin' on? Is there danger?" he questioned as he glanced around at everyone. It didn't take him long to see a face was missing from the group. Although, his face hadn't really been present lately, so it was almost normal that he wasn't around.

Lori shook her head before taking Rick by the hand. "Nothing like that."

"It's Shane," interrupted Dale. "He's gone. Just took off in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping"

Rick glanced from his wife to Dale. While Lori looked distraught, Dale just seemed conflicted. His eyes glanced around the rest of the group. Most everyone wore uncertainty on their face. Only Daryl and Maggie held expressions of disdain.

"Well, is there somethin' you all wanna do about it?" Rick asked sternly. He himself was a little uncertain. Despite the fact that things had been tense between them, Shane was still his friend. He secretly wondered about the relationship between him and Lori, but he hadn't found it in him to mention it to her. He wanted Lori to come to him about it.

"Don't you wanna go after him?" questioned Lori. She kept her eyes on Rick, searching for something in his own eyes to let her know what he was thinking.

"Are we really going to go into this again?" added Glenn with a hopeless look on his face. "Before you came out here, Lori was trying to convince us to search for him."

"And does everyone think that's a bad idea?" Rick broke his gaze with Lori as he looked around the circle. He could sense that the majority of them could care less about whether or not they brought Shane back. However, he could see that they would be willing to do it if that was what he decided upon. It seemed like he had suddenly become their guide. He had never felt more weight on his shoulders than he did in that very moment. He wasn't a stranger to being a leader, but that was under different circumstances. He always went in knowing that he and his team were willing to give their lives for the safety of others. These people, however, were the innocent he was suppose to protect. They weren't cops or warriors. They were just regular people thrown into an uncertain world. By some strange fate, he was now the only person standing between them and the undead trying to eat them all.

"Rick," interrupted Lori from his side. He slowly turned to face her, unsure of what to do. "You don't have to go after him. It was his choice to leave. I guess I just thought...he'd at least say goodbye."

Lori's gaze fell away, and Rick finally realized something he knew was there all along. Being married to Lori for so long had given Rick a sort of sixth sense when it came to her. He found that he could easily read her feelings by just looking into her eyes. In that moment, as she refused to meet his eyes, he sensed that there had been something that happened while he was gone. He suspected as much before now, but Lori's sad expression explained everything he needed to know.

Silence had fallen and like always, everyone was staring at him. He decided not to mention his realization in front of the group. He could tell that Lori had been struggling with it for a while. He didn't want to embarrass her or anyone else. After all, Shane wasn't there to defend himself. Even though it was his wife, Shane was still his friend. He found it irking that he kept having to mention it to himself over and over.

"Let's go," he instructed everyone before turning away and heading back into the RV.

"Looks like this is gonna be a fun trip," whispered Maggie to Beth and Glenn, the only two that were really close enough to hear her.

Everyone began to pile into the RV after that, except for Daryl. Beth stopped at the door to the RV and glanced toward him as he made his way around to the back end of the vehicle. Curiosity got the better of her, and she followed after him. She couldn't help but stare at the truck he had just climbed into, a motorcycle sitting in the bed of the truck. She slowly made her way over to the driver's side, and smiled at him innocently once he noticed her standing there.

"Are you going to ride in this truck all alone?" she questioned in the same serious tone she had used the other night.

"Are ya gonna make talkin' to me a regular thing?" he retorted with a raised brow.

Beth narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in an annoyed manner. "I just thought you could share the space. After all, we are apart of the same group."

Daryl stared at her for a good long minute. He had absolutely no idea what to think of this girl. He felt his usual urge to yell and be completely unreasonable, but wasn't she right to assume he was apart of the group? After all, he was joining them to God knows where. He could so easily leave if he wanted to. He could have so easily left Rick, Sophia, Beth and Maggie out in the woods the other day as well. But in the end, he had been the one to save Beth and Sophia when they were literally up against a tree with nowhere to run.

He released a sigh of frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. He honestly didn't know what to call these people, or what they even expected from him. His gaze fell upon Beth's face and he could tell that she was definitely expecting something from him. It was just a simple ride, but he suddenly felt like it was so much more than that. He felt like if he gave anymore than he already had, he'd basically be giving himself over to whatever they were. He certainly wasn't about to call them family. Family had never done anything for him in the past, no matter how much he tried to do whatever he could for Merle. However, Merle wasn't there anymore. He had no idea where Merle was, and he wasn't even sure he cared anymore.

"You don't have to," she added after watching him in silence for a while. It seemed like he was having some kind of inner war with himself. "I just thought I'd ask."

"It's whatever," he muttered softly as he drew his attention to the windshield. "Only got room for two people, so don't go whinin' about how ya want your sister."

"I'm not five," she said pointedly. "I think I can handle being away from her for a few hours. Besides, maybe some company will lighten up your bad mood."

Daryl glanced back over to her, ready to bark some harsh retort, but she was already walking away. He was tempted to call after her, but decided it was better to keep his temper in check. He vaguely wondered where she was going, until he saw her talking to her sister a few feet away. He saw her expression was apprehensive, so he silently prayed to whatever God was still up there that Maggie would tell her no. However, when Beth started walking back in his direction, Daryl ceased praying and glared at the roof of the truck.

"I should have known it wouldn't work. Never worked before," he muttered to himself before Beth was happily seated in the passenger seat next to him. He decided that there was no point in getting angry at her for no reason. She seemed like she was just trying to make friends with him. Why she decided he was suitable to be her best friend, he couldn't begin to understand. Women were a strange breed to him. Teenage girls were even stranger. He never understood them when he was a teenager, and he certainly didn't get them now that he was a grown man. He was half thankful he never was interested in finding a woman and having a family. If dealing with teenagers were half as hard as dealing with Beth, he didn't think he'd be able to muster whatever child he might produce. Anything with his genes was sure to be a pain in the ass. Not that he ever had to worry about that now. With the world in the toilet, there was definitely no way Daryl Dixon would ever find a woman interested in all his baggage. Not that he really relished the idea of getting married and having kids anyway.

It didn't take long for everyone else to pile into the RV. Soon it was taking off down the road, and Daryl was following behind in his truck. For the first few minutes, Beth was quiet. She stared out the open window on her side, the wind blowing her hair wildly about. He occasionally glanced in her direction until she noticed him staring. That's when she started talking. She mostly spoke about her farm, which he replied each time with a grunt. Oddly enough, she wasn't as annoying as he thought she'd be. Although, he'd never admit that to her.

The day wore on, the sun slowly falling over the horizon. Daryl stopped his truck once the RV came to a stop in front of him. He took a peek out the window and saw there wasn't anything blocking the road ahead. He glanced back to Beth, giving her a stern warning with his eyes to stay put. As added measure, he told her as much with his words before getting out and walking over to Rick once he noticed him standing on the side of the road.

Rick rubbed his chin thoughtfully before looking over at Daryl. "We can't keep drivin' into the night. Best if we stop here."

"On the side of the road? Not very good cover," he added as he crossed his arms and glanced around the open area.

"It's the best we can do right now," Rick replied with a long sigh. "I feel the same, you know. When we were back on the highway for those few days, I was scared outta my mind. Especially after that herd walked through. We're lucky that we only got one."

Daryl acknowledged him with a nod before he noticed Dale standing at the door of the RV. "Maybe we can drive a little while longer until we find some shelter?" he offered.

"I guess," replied Rick, not once averting his eyes from the expanse of fields that stretched before them. "Daryl?"

Daryl grunted in response before he realized that Rick was actually seeking his opinion about the matter. "You wanna know what I think?" he asked with genuine surprise on his face

Rick couldn't help but smile. "Well, yeah. I can't be the only one with an opinion all the time, and you've helped us out in many bad spots."

Daryl's hands fell to his side as he stared Rick down for a moment. He glanced over at Dale, who shrugged his shoulders in response. Daryl looked back at Rick and shrugged as well, not entirely sure how to respond to the fact Rick actually cared what he thought.

"I suppose a few more miles wouldn't hurt."

"Then let's get movin' before we lose too much daylight."

And with that, Dale and Rick shuffled back into the RV, leaving Daryl just a bit confused. He cleared his throat awkwardly before returning back to the truck and quietly waiting for the RV to take off. He could feel Beth's eyes on him, and he knew she was probably curious about what was going on. He decided to let her stew for a bit as he drove off behind the RV.

Silence dragged on for a few minutes before Beth finally realized he wasn't going to say anything until she asked.

"What was that about?"

"Nothin' serious," he replied noncommittal.

Beth narrowed her eyes at his reply. She almost wanted to scream when he gave her little to nothing about whatever just happened on the side of the road. She crossed her arms and slouched back in her seat, deciding not to push the subject. In some ways, Daryl was a lot like her sister. When Maggie didn't want to talk about something, she'd always give her a response with no explanation to what was going on. She'd then follow it up be avoiding eye contact. Usually Beth would let it go, but sometimes Maggie would skid around things for no reason just because she assumed Beth didn't need to know. Daryl was a bit different, though. He just seemed like a guy that didn't like speaking to other humans all that much. Maybe he preferred speaking to wild animals over his own race. Either way, she could tell he was trying really hard not to lose it with her ever since they left their former parking spot in the car graveyard. And for some reason, Beth was thoroughly amused that she managed to get under his skin so much.

For maybe an hour or so, silence lasted between them until Beth saw something on the side of the road. "Hey," she said abruptly. "Look at that."

Daryl chanced a glance to whatever she was pointing at with her index finger. He was actually rather surprised when his eyes fell upon a fancy gate on the side of the road. He made his truck slow to a stop before he honked at the RV ahead of them. It wasn't long before the vehicle stopped and a few of its occupants was shuffling out.

"Nice lookin' out there, Greene," he said before he turned off the engine and hopped out of the truck.

Beth watched his retreating back, a blush creeping to her cheeks from the compliment. "Thanks," she replied softly. She didn't care if he had heard her or not. She just felt happy to have been complimented for something other than her babysitting skills.

Rick was the first to came to Daryl's side. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have been upset that they made any noise whatsoever. Since it was Daryl, Rick knew it had to be something important for him to risk the attention. He noticed that he was looking around frantically, making sure that he hadn't put them in any danger.

Rick's attention was instantly drawn to the gates they were standing in front of. He moved closer and wrapped his hands around the bars as he peered inside. Behind those gates was rows upon rows of rather wealthy looking houses. His eyes trailed up to the top of the gate where a sign was, christening the community Brownfield Estates.

"This looks like as good a place as any to hole up in for the night," he announced as he turned to face everyone that had gathered around. "Of course we'll have to make sure it's safe. We'll just clear one house and board it up for the night."

"Rick," interjected Lori as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look at this place, though. It looks...normal. Maybe we can check out the whole place tomorrow. Maybe we..." she trailed off, afraid to finish the sentence she started.

"Maybe we can," replied Rick sagely as he stared into Lori's eyes. He could see for the first time in a long time that she had hope. He couldn't blame her. He looked at this place and for the first time since the CDC, he was feeling a little hopeful as well. Although, he wasn't going to let it build. He had to be realistic, which was exactly the same thoughts Daryl seemed to be mulling over as he glanced his way. As nice as it would be to go back to the way things use to be, there was really no guarantee.

"Let's get in there then," announced Maggie from the back of the group. She marched her way to the gate with her knife in hand. Before they opened the gate, she took a quick glance to the truck where Beth was standing. Once she was certain Beth was okay, she focused her energy on helping Daryl, Rick, T-Dog and Glenn clear the first house they came upon. Everyone else waited outside until they gave a signal to come in. Once everything was okay, the group shuffled inside and began collectively securing the house for the night.

The house itself was actually two stories, and probably the biggest party house on the block. There was a huge living room with a pool table and a wide screen TV system. Not that it really mattered anymore, but at least they had pool now. Both Daryl and Rick were actually very excited about playing a round. Well, about as much excitement Daryl could ever manage to show was a half smile. It was a work in progress, but he found he was slowly starting to become a people person. Or at least he found hanging out with Rick and Glenn easier than most people.

Before the fun began, everyone immediately picked out their rooms. Lori, Rick and Carl were given the master bedroom by default, which Rick was very appreciative of. Carol, Beth, Maggie and Sophia decided to bunk together in what could only be considered a child's room, due to the fact it had a bunk bed. T-Dog, Andrea and Dale decided to share what looked like a guest bedroom together. There was only one bed, so both men offered the bed to Andrea and opted to sleep in sleeping bags on the floor. Glenn and Daryl decided to take the two couches in the living room, which Daryl had rather mixed emotions about. Glenn was okay to be around, but sometimes he tended to get a bit chatty. Especially when he couldn't sleep. Daryl had only had the pleasure of sleeping in close quarters with him once before, and the guy just would not stop making noise. Needless to say, Daryl was almost tempted to commit murder that night.

After everyone had picked their rooms, and Rick made sure the house was secure, he offered a game of pool with Daryl and Glenn.

"Mind if I join in, boys?" questioned Maggie as she leaned against the side of the table.

"Sure," said Glenn all too eagerly. When Rick and Daryl glanced at him with rather amused looks, he immediately cleared his throat nervously. "I mean, it's whatever."

Maggie grinned mischievously as she watched Glenn shuffle to the other side of the table. He certainly wasn't trying very hard to make his attempt to avoid her subtle. The sight of him absently twirling his pool cue around in his hands made her grin even bigger.

"Let's make it interesting," chimed Maggie as Daryl began to rack the balls. "We'll do teams. I call Glenn on my team. Loser has to take first watch."

Glenn began gripping his stick tightly as he looked in Maggie's direction. Rick and Daryl exchanged looks from across the table before a snicker in the doorway drew everyone's attention to Beth.

"Little sister," muttered Maggie. "Is there somethin' you need?"

"Just watchin'," she replied with a shrug.

Maggie watched her from the corner of her eye as she moved to the couch and sat down. She had a smile on her face, but Maggie knew Beth better. She knew she was here to watch her torment poor Glenn about his obvious nervousness around her. She turned back to the table, deciding to let her be. She liked it better when Beth was in her sight anyway. She had almost lost it when Beth wanted to ride alone with Daryl. With one glance in the burly man's direction, she didn't really feel like he was a bad guy. She didn't think he'd try anything on her. She just hadn't let Beth out of her sight since they left the farm, and those few hours had really made her go crazy. She was certain everyone in the RV had noticed, because all of them were telling her that Daryl wasn't _as _bad as he appeared. Now that they were settled somewhere safe, she had decided to agree he wasn't that bad. After all, Beth was safe and sound. And from the way she focused all her attention on Daryl, it seemed he had really made an impression on her little sister. She only hoped it wasn't anything she should worry about.

"Maggie?" came Glenn's voice from her side. She glanced in his direction, having completely forgotten where he was as she stared intently from Daryl to Beth. "It's your turn."

"Alright," she replied disdainfully before taking her shot. Her mind was elsewhere and she ended up missing. However, she was kind of hoping to lose anyway. She just wanted an excuse to pester Glenn more.

"Told ya this was gonna be easy," commented Daryl as he gently elbowed Rick in the side. "Maybe for once I'll get ta sleep."

"Sleep?" retorted Rick as Daryl took his shot. "What's that mean anymore anyway?" he added with a chuckle, earning a laugh from everyone in the room. Hell, even Daryl gave a little snort.

As Rick stared around the room, he vaguely wondered if maybe the hope he felt was possible. Maybe they were finally getting a break and could start over. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Rick let himself feel peace. At least just for tonight he could relax.

* * *

Allow me to begin by pointing everyone's attention to the fact this story changed from a T rating, to an M rating! If by any chance anyone thinks that that means I'm actually going to partake in some smut soon, then stop worrying! I will tell you that yes, there is an obvious hint to sex in the next chapter. However, I don't really want to write any smutty scenes, so I've opted to just fading out if I ever actually come to the point where one would be needed. The change is mostly because I plan to get extremely gory soon. Enjoy the happy good times while they last, because I have plans to really fuck with everyone! MUHAHAHAHA!

With that said, the next few chapters are quite relaxing. I've written out chapter 7 and 8 already, and both are quite Bethyl and Gleggie centered! That should be something nice before I rip your emotions into shreds. Or at least I'm hoping that my plot twist will rip your emotions to shreds. Does that make me a horrible person? To actually wish I destroy my readers hopes? I feel like I need therapy now...


	7. The First Time

"Looks like it's going to be a lovely day," remarked Maggie softly as she watched the sun rising in the distance.

Glenn bobbed his head in a nod as a response. A yawn escaped his lips before Maggie glanced up at him. The two of them were on the porch of the house they had claimed the night before. After a little game of pool, which she and Glenn had lost to against Rick and Daryl, the two of them had taken watch. Of course she had made a bet out of the game, saying losers would do just that. She wasn't really all that bad at the game. She just wanted a reason to spend the whole night alone with Glenn. She couldn't explain why he intrigued her so much. She found his shy demeanor attractive. The way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking made it all the more amusing to mess with him.

Now here they were, with her sitting on the porch against the wall, and him sitting on a chair he had brought out from the dining room inside. She had spent the whole night talking to him about nothing. He told her about his former life as a pizza boy, and she told him about her former life as a farmer's daughter. She confessed that she really had no idea what she was doing with her life. He confessed that he was somewhat glad everything was this way, because life wasn't very kind to him in the first place.

"You know," he began out of the blue. "There's so much I wish I had done differently."

Maggie stared at him intently with a soft smile on her lips. "I think we all have regrets, Glenn."

"I know. I just wish..." he trailed off as he tentatively glanced in her direction. "I wish I had been more confident with girls."

"Don't seem to have any problems with me now." A grin slowly began to replace the smile on her lips.

Glenn swallowed hard, only to find his mouth felt extremely dry at that moment. "I didn't mean talking to girls. Talking is a little hard, but at least I can do it."

Maggie stared at him with confusion for a moment before what he was saying really sunk in. "Oh!"

"Yeah," he replied sharply once he saw she understood. "I might just die a virgin."

"You never..." she trailed off as his eyes averted away. "Well, I'll have sex with you."

Almost instantly, he turned his gaze on her and stared directly into her eyes. All he could see was sincere desire. If her face hadn't been so serious, he would have never believed the words that came from her mouth.

"You really mean it?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," she said with a suggestive brow raised.

All sorts of things started running through Glenn's mind as he swallowed again. "Right now?"

"Of course not now, stupid!" she retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Maybe later when we're looking through houses. We can sneak away then."

"O-okay," he said eagerly. He instantly wanted to slap himself for acting like a horny teenager, but he certainly felt like one. He had never been in this sort of position before. He had never met a girl like Maggie. The way she so happily agreed to do something so crazy made him wonder just what kind of farm she use to live on.

Maggie couldn't help but chuckle at the way he jumped for the chance to get laid. She certainly didn't mind giving him exactly what he was asking for. After all, there weren't very many choices anymore. It wasn't as if she was looking for her one true love. She truly just wanted a good time, and Glenn was a fairly good looking guy. She didn't care if he was completely inexperienced either. She was sure she could teach him all the right moves.

A silence fell between them as they stared into each other's eyes. Maggie felt herself move a bit closer, half tempted to act upon the desire that was bubbling up inside her. As she stood up and moved to stand in front of him, she could see a hint of desire reflected in his own eyes. Just as she began to lean forward, the door opened and T-Dog and Rick came bounding out. Maggie immediately moved away and pretended to be occupied with the wooden beams holding up one side of the porch. Glenn cleared his throat loudly and was half tempted to scream, "we weren't doing anything!" He managed to avert eye contact and remain calm, though.

"Morin'," announced Rick as he moved down the steps of the porch. "You two ready to scout the town? Thought we'd get it done early. I imagine there's all sorts of dead people wondering in hidden places."

"I know I'm ready," chimed T-Dog as he walked to Rick's side and took in a big breath of air. "Feel like a brand new man today. My wound is healin' up nicely."

"That's good," replied Rick with a genuine smile. "You should have someone look over it later. Make sure it stays good."

"I can take care of that," offered Maggie as she moved to stand in front of the three steps leading off the porch. "My daddy was a vet. He had some medical knowledge and showed me a few things growin' up. Taught me even more once the turn."

T-Dog smiled brightly and accepted her offer with a nod. "Awfully nice of ya," he added before turning away.

Glenn watched the exchange with interest. He could see clearly from where he sat that Maggie was trying to hide a sadness about speaking of her father. During their chat last night, she had talked fondly of the man he didn't even know. She told him exactly what had happened at her farm before she met him and his group. She had talked about how her sister still had hope that their father was alive, but she wasn't so sure she could live that way. Watching Maggie and Beth in general made his heart ache. Maggie was obviously trying very hard to look out for the young girl. He could see in the way they acted around each other that they had a strong bond. Beth seemed to respect everything Maggie had to say, even though she occasionally rolled her eyes in that way teenagers usually acted.

As he mulled over his thoughts, Rick went back into the house to round everyone up. Once they were all together outside, Rick began to pair everyone off into groups. He announced that Beth and Dale were to stay in the house with Carl and Sophia, which Carl responded to with a groan. Beth was certain she heard him mumbling under his breath about how he was always being treated like a child, and she suddenly found her eyes straying to Maggie as the same thoughts crossed her own mind.

"We'll split into two teams. Lori, Daryl and Carol are with me. Andrea, Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog are the second group," he explained as he put an arm around Lori's shoulder. "I'll take my team to the left of this house. Glenn, you take charge of the second team and go right."

Beth watched as Rick took off with his group. She turned toward her sister and quickly hugged her around the waist from behind, catching her off guard and causing her to almost lose her balance. Maggie couldn't help but chuckle, though.

"Be careful," Beth whispered into the back of her shirt.

"Just pray that there's nothing to worry about," Maggie replied as she pried Beth's arms away and turned to face her.

Beth backed away and gave a nod. She watched the four of them head off in the opposite direction of town, an ominous feeling washing over her. Suddenly, Dale gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She glanced up into his face, nothing but wisdom etched on his features. She got the sense that he was trying to convey some sort of calmness onto her. All she could do was smile nervously back at him. She was grateful that he cared, but she wasn't one to easily switch over to happy when things left a bad taste in her mouth. And at that very moment, she tasted the most bitter flavor the world had ever produced. Considering what kind of world she was living in now, that was definitely saying something.

* * *

Maggie glanced back toward the house where she had left Beth, Dale and the kids. It had only been a few minutes since they left, and yet nothing was popping out at them. As a matter of fact, the whole place was eerily quiet. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or concerned. There was something about not seeing dead people that made her nervous. She never thought she'd ever feel scared to not being confronted by Walkers trying to eat her face.

"Hey?" Glenn said quietly from her side. "You look deep in thought. Hope it isn't about me."

A grin slowly spread across her lips before her eyes landed on Andrea and T-Dog ahead of them. "If I were thinking about you, my face would be a whole lot redder."

Glenn suddenly felt that lump in his throat again, and so he instinctively swallowed. "Does that mean-"

"That I still wanna screw you?" she offered in a whisper. She noticed his eyes dart around wildly, half expecting someone to be listening to their conversation. "I said I would, and I will."

When his eyes came back to meet her, her face was full of desire. Glenn had never seen a woman look at him that way before. Hell, he'd never really had a woman look at him in any particular way at all.

"Andrea. T-Dog," he began as he turned his attention to them. "We should search some houses," he said as they turned to face him. He gestured to two houses ahead of them as he continued to speak.

"You two can take the one on the right. Maggie and I will secure the other," he instructed, hoping like hell his voice didn't give away too much.

"Shouldn't we stick together?" questioned T-Dog with a raised brow. "I mean, splitin' up would be quicker, but it certainly ain't safer."

"We haven't really seen much out here. I doubt there's much in the houses either," he replied as he moved past them and toward his destination.

"Or that's why there isn't much out here," muttered Andrea. "What if they're all in the houses?"

Glenn stopped in front of them with his back toward them. "Just try and keep to one room at a time. Don't over think too much."

Before Andrea or T-Dog could say anything else, Glenn was walking again. Maggie shrugged as the two glanced at her. She was far better at playing cool than he was. Just by staring at his back, Maggie could tell Glenn was trying far too hard not to let his intentions show. Honestly, Maggie was just as concerned about the houses being filled with Walkers as Andrea was. She still had an uneasy feeling in her stomach, but she decided that focusing on Glenn was better than focusing on the elephant in the room. Besides, she was truly turned on by Glenn's attitude. He was so awkward and shy about everything. It was charming and cute to her. Also, Glenn wasn't half bad looking. She figured she could do much worse.

As soon as Andrea and T-Dog went their own way and she was alone with Glenn, she started having flashbacks to the conversation on the RV with Beth. She mentally kicked herself at how careless she was being. In some ways, she was starting to like Glenn more than she intended to. She had spent the whole night talking to him about her former life, and him replying with tales about his own. Now she was about to have sex with him, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She knew half of the reason was simply because she wanted some kind of release. All the tension was making her head hurt. The end of the world certainly wasn't doing anything for her mental health. The other part of the reason was because it was the end of the world. She didn't know when her last breath would be. As much as she wanted to think life was still long for her, she was scared that the next turn she'd make would be her last. That's why she tried even harder to make good decisions for Beth. Even if the next moment would be her last, Maggie wanted Beth to have a future. She knew there wasn't much of one in the world they had to live in now, but at least she could make it somewhat better for her baby sister than it had been for her.

"Maggie?" whispered Glenn as he opened the front door. "Shall we make sure everything is safe?"

Maggie's eyes fell onto his before she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him inside. She kicked the door shut behind them and turned him around, pushing him backwards until he was up against the door. It all happened so fast that Glenn barely had time to react. All he could do was stare at her with wide eyes. Or at least he did until he noticed she was staring at him with longing.

"Won't take very long. I'm already so ready," she whispered, her warm breath hitting against his lips as she moved closer and closer. When her lips collided into his, he found every part of him go limp. Her lips were incredibly soft against his own. His eyes slowly fell shut, the image in his gaze being her own eyes falling shut at the last minute. And when her tongue slowly glided over his bottom lip, he eagerly grabbed her hips and pulled them hard against his own. Almost in union, a moan escaped their lips and he was certain that he had never been more excited than he was at that very moment. Before he knew it, clothes were being shed and they were on the floor in the most uncomfortable and erotic dance he had ever had the pleasure of being apart of.

* * *

"It's gettin' late," uttered Dale as he walked up to Beth's side. She had been going in and out of the house all day, staring off in every direction. After Sophia and Carl gave up and started playing by themselves, Beth decided to stay outside for nearly the past hour. Dale was getting concerned as well, especially since what both groups were doing consisted of searching for the very things they were hiding from. However, he hadn't heard any sounds that meant they were in danger.

"Did Rick say what we should do if they don't come back at a certain time?" she asked as she jerked her head in his direction. "Does he want us to leave?"

"Beth," he said softly as he pat her shoulder. He could see tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sure everyone's just fine. It's a big town, you know. They gotta search everywhere."

She replied with a sniffle before averting her eyes to the setting sun. As she stared out at the street, four figures began emerging from behind the house across from theirs. A smile spread across her face, and she eagerly went to greet them at the edge of the street. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad that it wasn't the group her sister had went with. Of course seeing Rick, Daryl, Lori and Carol alive and well made her smile linger. After all, Carl and Sophia needed their parents, and Daryl was just too Daryl to end up as Walker food. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but she knew that there was just no other way to describe him.

Carol and Lori smiled as they walked up to her. She instantly hugged them both, which they responded to with a hug in return. She couldn't help herself. It was in her nature to be affectionate to those she cared for. She hadn't known them very long, but she had come to think of everyone here as an important part of her life. They were all she had now. They had taken her and her sister in without any questions.

"The other group isn't back yet," announced Dale from the porch. "Beth was about ready to have a heart attack if you all didn't show up."

She cut her eyes to him sharply as Lori and Carol pulled away from her embrace. The two couldn't help but smile warmly at her before their children came out and hugged them tightly.

"I was not," she said quickly as she glanced back to Rick and Daryl. "I was just worried. I'm still worried because Maggie isn't back..."

"Tch," uttered Daryl as he passed by her. "She's the last person I'd ever be worried about. She's got more balls than most guys I know. She's even got Glenn's balls."

"Daryl," scolded Lori and Carol at the same time.

"Daryl says I have balls!" chimed Sophia.

"Nu-uh," retorted Carl as he crossed his arms. "Girls can't have balls."

"Dear Jesus," muttered Rick with a shake of his head.

Daryl looked back at Lori and Carol, both of them staring daggers at him. "What? Ain't my fault the kid repeats everything she hears."

Before either mother could respond, the sound of the second group came bounding from down the street. Beth smiled brightly as she quickly went to greet her sister with a hug. Maggie happily hugged her back as Andrea, T-Dog and Glenn started to pile into the house with everyone else. As Glenn passed by Daryl, he had to do a double take once he saw a different look in Glenn's eyes.

"How in the hell did ya even manage to find time?" Daryl said under his breath, causing Glenn to halt in his tracks.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," he replied sharply before turning away.

Daryl's comment left Glenn feeling nervous. The only thing he could think of was that Daryl had somehow figured out what had passed between Maggie and him. It wouldn't really be much of a stretch for Daryl to see it, though. Glenn was pretty sure he had the stupidest grin he had ever worn on his face. Even Andrea and T-Dog had been looking at him funny after they reunited outside on the street. Daryl was even more of trained eye. Being a hunter made him keen to things most people never noticed. He probably took one look at him and realized he was a virgin no more. Or maybe he just had some kind of new smell. He had always heard that people looked different after sex. He then vaguely wondered if his hair was okay.

"So," began Rick once everyone was back in the house. "Anyone else a little concerned about the fact this town is deserted?"

"Hell yes," Maggie said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" asked Lori with a hopeful smile. Anyone could see that she knew better than to think it was good.

"I'd like to thank so," replied Rick as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But, it leaves me with an uneasy feelin'."

"No Walkers could mean a lotta things," interjected Daryl. "Could mean this place was cleared out by someone else. Could mean that someone else is still here."

"Or it could mean no one turned here," offered Beth, causing Daryl to turn his gaze on her. She quickly looked away, finding the fact he was the only one staring at her unnerving.

"Like I said," Daryl added as he turned away from everyone. "Could mean a lotta things."

* * *

The young man grinned as he lowered his binoculars and moved away from the edge of the roof. He was on top of a house across of the one the group had just went into. He reached for a radio he had attached to the belt around his pants. He pulled it to his mouth and pressed the button on the side, static bursting through the air the moment he did.

"Hey," he began. "This is Martinez comin' in. We got ourselves a big group at the estate. They fell for it hook, line and sinker," he explained as he peered over the edge and watched the guy he deemed "redneck guy" step out onto the porch and light a cigarette.

"Tell the Governor to round up everyone. This is a big group and we'll need all the man power we can get to bring em' down. Martinez out."

He released the button and placed the radio back on his belt. He then grabbed his binoculars and continued to observe the house. He didn't think this whole set up had been worth it until now. Up until now, all they had managed to get were one or two people passing through. Now they had a big group for whatever it was the Governor had in mind. He never asked the reason behind his crazy scheme. The Governor was his friend, and that's all he needed to know. If he wanted him to capture these group of people and bring them back for his sick games, then he would make sure to gift wrap them in the process. At the end of the day, it was better if he just didn't know anyways.

* * *

Before I get into this chapter, I have to give a shout out to one guest that goes by TWD Withdrawal. The last review this person left me was really touching. Thank you for comparing my story to the actual show. Sometimes I feel my writing gets choppy and I'm certain I don't use proper grammar all the time, but I try my hardest to give you all something that's entertaining! So thank you to that guest and all the others that are still following at this point. If you review with an account, you all know I personally thank you for each review you give me. By the way, sorry I spam your inbox! As for this chapter, I kind of feel like its filler. I know my Gleggie sex scene isn't amazing, but that's why you should be glad I didn't do a full on sex scene. Honestly, I don't think there's anything I could possibly add to a sex scene that's different. I know I enjoy reading smut as much as other people do, but I don't feel like I could be good at writing it. I wrote smutty fan fiction in the past before, and it was usually greeted with disdain. I even got a comment saying I made it so boring that the character basically became a jellyfish. I don't really remember the exact words, and it was a long time ago. It was a different account even. Anyway, the big point is the introduction of our villain. I actually struggled with whether I wanted to use the Governor or an OC for this idea. In the end, I went with the Governor, and I think he works pretty well. You'll understand in chapter 9. You guys get one more chapter of happy times before we get to the horrible stuff! Yay!


	8. The Pool Table

Beth sighed as she stared up at the top bed of the bunk. She could vaguely hear the soft breathing of Carol and Sophia above her. She turned her head slightly to stare at Maggie's peaceful face. Beth was finding it hard to fall asleep, even though she felt extremely tired. She hadn't done anything that day. No one really had. After scouting the town and coming up empty handed of Walkers, everyone was in a mix of uncertainty and joy. Beth was feeling hopeful that things were looking up for them, but she could sense Maggie, Daryl, Rick and many others weren't so sure their discovery was a good thing. She knew Lori was on her side, and she hoped she could convince Rick to give this place a shot. She knew he was pondering on packing them up and moving on, but that was just as uncertain to everyone as staying here. At least in this little town, they knew what was there.

Maggie suddenly began to stir in her sleep. Beth glanced at her from the corner of her eyes. A little groan of annoyance escaped her lips as Maggie's hand came falling onto Beth's face. She began to mumble incoherent words before Beth gently took her hand and sat up to lie it on the pillow where her head previously laid. She then slowly moved off the bed, almost falling as she tried to untangle Maggie's legs from around her own.

"I feel sorry for whatever man ends up sleeping with her," Beth muttered under her breath as she got to her feet and wondered out into the hall.

Down the hall was the guest room, where she knew only Dale was occupying it for the night. Andrea and T-Dog had decided to take watch this time. She walked out of the hall and into what she assumed was a polar. There wasn't much use for it. It had paintings on the wall, and the only thing it did was connect to the living room and kitchen. It also had a set of stairs next to the door to the living room. As she stood at the base of the stairs, she glanced up to the door that was visible from her vantage point. That door led into the master bedroom where the Grimes family slept peacefully. The only other room up there was a bathroom. There was another bathroom across the hall from the room she was staying in, but it wasn't like bathroom's had a purpose anymore.

The sound of something clinking together drew Beth's attention to the living room. She moved to the door frame and was surprised to see Daryl awake. He was bent over the pool table, playing a game by himself. She took a quick glance around the room and noticed Glenn was nowhere to be found.

"He's on watch with Andrea and T-Dog," Daryl quipped before taking the shot he had been lining up, sending a ball into the corner pocket.

Beth jumped slightly as he addressed her. She knew he was in tune with his surroundings, but she had no idea just how easy it was for him to feel her presence. It was as if he had a sixth sense that allowed him to just know people were near. And how he knew she was even thinking about Glenn's absence, she'd never know.

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched him start to line up another shot. "I wasn't really interested in knowing where Glenn was," she lied before stepping over to the opposite side of the table. "I couldn't sleep. Thought I'd just walk around. I forgot you're a night owl."

He stopped aiming and looked up at her. It seemed like ever since that night she had randomly started talking to him outside, she hadn't stopped trying to get his attention. Maybe he was just imagining it. It just seemed far too odd how whenever he was alone, she popped up and started smiling at him like it was the most natural thing in the world. And God help him, he was starting to find her presence nice. But in usual Daryl fashion, he would never tell her or anyone else that he liked her company. She'd probably never realize it either, since he barely cracked a smile. The fact that he even smiled at all meant she clearly had some kind of affect on his mood. He was still trying to figure it out, though.

She watched as he lined up his pool cue with the cue ball, trying to shoot an orange ball into the side pocket. "How do you even play this game?" she asked as she leaned her elbows on the edge of the table and placed the palms of her hands against her face.

"Ya mean your sister ain't never taught you?" he asked before hitting the ball and sending his target straight into the side of the table, completely missing the pocket. "Damn..."

"No, she hasn't," she said as she watched him intently. "Have you always cursed like that, or is that a new thing you started after the world ended?"

Daryl slowly brought his gaze to her as he placed the pool cue on the edge of the table. "Is that a serious question?"

Beth simply shrugged her shoulders in response. She then turned and grabbed one of the pool cues standing against the wall behind her, then she leaned over the table and used it to knock a random ball into a hole. He leaned against the table with his hands and watched her concentrate far too hard on doing it all wrong. She didn't even use the cue ball to hit the ball she had chose.

"I know what you're going to say," she said as she stood up straight and looked over at him. "I'm horrible at this game."

"I would have said beyond hope," he replied before he started pulling all of the balls out and setting them up. "I wasn't really playin' the game. Just shootin' to pass time."

Beth watched him rack up the balls before moving to stand at the front of the table. "Then let's play a game," she said as she leaned forward. "How about 9-Ball? Maggie taught me that one. She tried to teach me how to play the regular way, but I kept forgetting the rules and terminology."

Daryl slowly brought his eyes up to meet hers. He wasn't sure what to say, so he shrugged his shoulders and began setting the game up for 9-Ball. He was sure he'd get a laugh out of watching her fail miserably. However, there was no amusement on his face once she took her shot and knocked in the first ball.

"You were scammin' me," he stated with a stern look at her.

"Maybe," she replied in a sing-song tone and a shrug of her shoulders. "Good thing you didn't bet anything."

He watched her move away from the table and shook his head. "One shot don't make you the winner. Still got eight ta go."

The rest of the game continued on in that fashion. They'd take their turns and Beth would make some kind of sarcastic quip to get a rise out of him. He usually just rolled his eyes and took his turn, all the while a nagging voice in the back of his head was wondering how the hell he ended up hanging out with Little Miss Sunshine. For all her smiles and giggles, she actually wasn't all that bad. In those rare moments when he actually let his guard down, she managed to make him laugh just a bit. Usually he just laughed on the inside, but he was sure it showed in his eyes. As crazy as it seemed, he was starting to think that this place wasn't all that bad. Maybe they could try and make it work after all.

"Daryl?" she asked softly. He hadn't even noticed when she had moved to his side. But there she was, standing at his side and leaning over the pool table in the same way she'd been doing all night. "Do you think Rick will decide for us to stay? I kind of like it here."

Daryl gripped onto his pool cue before giving a shrug. "Dunno," he replied. "Maybe."

Beth snapped her eyes to his face. He could tell she was trying to gauge out exactly what he could possibly be thinking, but he knew all too well how to hide his thoughts by now. Or at least he thought he did. When she started grinning at him like a possum, he stared at her like she had grew a second head.

"What?" he asked curiously, hoping he wouldn't regret it.

"Nothin'," she drawled out in a voice that sounded as sweet as honey. Or at least he assumed that that was what honey would sound like. It seemed "honey" was the perfect way to describe everything about Beth Greene.

"It ain't nothin'. It's clearly somethin'."

She couldn't help but giggle at the annoyance in his voice. "I just think it's nice that you think this," she stopped to gesture with her hands at the living room. "That this is nice."

"What makes ya think I think this is nice?" he questioned as he put his pool cue on the edge of the table, their game completely forgotten.

"Daryl," she said in that honey-like voice again. "You're a man of few words, but those words speak volumes."

He felt completely dumbfounded by her words. He didn't let his surprise go unnoticed either, which only made Beth smile even bigger. She turned back to the table, however, and gestured to the fact that there was only one ball left, and it was his turn.

"It's the nine ball. You instantly win if you get it in," she said as she began pushing his pool cue toward him.

Daryl silently grabbed the stick and bent over the table, her words still playing in his mind as he took the shot. For a moment, he considered letting her win. But only for a moment. As soon as he hit the cue ball into the nine ball, it went straight into the corner pocket at the other end of the table from where he stood.

"I guess I really do suck at pool," Beth said as he moved away from the table.

Daryl couldn't help but grin. "That's why ya practice."

Beth narrowed her eyes as he put his pool cue back in the rack against the wall. She followed his movements, even as he moved over to the couch and took a seat. As soon as she sat down and continued staring at him, he knew that she wasn't about to leave any time soon.

"You're like a leech," he muttered as he leaned over to take his shoes off. "Give ya an inch and ya take a mile."

"What's that suppose to mean?" she almost snapped as she crossed her arms in an attempt to look annoyed. However, she merely looked like she was pouting.

"I ain't gonna explain it if ya don't get it," he retorted before lying back against the couch and putting his sock covered feet in her lap. Now he was just trying to annoy her, finding the fact that she was easily riled up amusing. He needed a new hobby anyways. Annoying Beth seemed to be a good substitute.

Beth stared down his feet before slowly bringing her eyes up to meet his face. There wasn't one bit of annoyance in her eyes, though. There wasn't even a hint of frustration. All she did was shake her head before shoving his feet to the floor. She got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. Once again, she was attempting to be intimidating, but all he saw was her innocence. It made it all the more amusing to mess with her.

"Goodnight, Mr. Dixon," she said with an edge in her tone.

Before he could say anything, she turned on her heel and left in a flash. Every time he saw her seemed to be like an odd dream. As soon as she was gone, he was left wondering whether it really happened.

He laid his head back against the arm of the couch. He then placed the back of his hand against his forehead as he stared up at the ceiling, Beth's smile playing through his thoughts. She definitely wasn't a dream. She was even further from a nightmare. She was becoming harder and harder to get out of his mind, which he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. The thought of her both intrigued and frightened him. It was strange for him to even consider being scared. He was Daryl Dixon. He wasn't even scared to die. And yet somehow, this petite blonde girl made him more scared than he'd ever felt in his entire life; minus some parts of his childhood torment. All because he decided to play one game of pool with her, and she managed to seep her way into his skin.

"Fuckin' pool table," he muttered before he grabbed a throw pillow that was lying on the ground and placed it on his face.

The sudden sound of breaking glass caught his attention, and he quickly set up on the couch. He didn't think about what it was. He got to his feet as quietly as he could, and then he grabbed his crossbow that sat at the head of the couch. He crouched down low by the pool table and stared into the darkness of the next room. Once he took a small step forward, the front door came open and Andrea, T-Dog and Glenn were all escorted inside by the tip of a gun at their heads. In that moment, Daryl became frozen to the spot as gun totting men came bursting into the house with flashlights. Some started to spread out through the house, searching for the rest of the group no doubt. It wasn't long before one flashed a light on him, and gestured with no words for him to drop his weapon and join the other three hostages.

Of Course Daryl didn't give into their command, at first. He was weighing the odds on whether or not he could possibly kill every last asshole that was threatening him and his people before they could pull their triggers. However, he lost the thought immediately when one of the men came from the hall with Beth in his clutches. The sight of her struggling while the strange man held his hand over her eyes enraged him beyond belief, but he put his crossbow down on the ground and stood up straight to face them head on.

"Glad ta see you people have brains," uttered a man of Hispanic decent. "And here I thought you'd be the stupidest one of them all."

"We'll see how well your mouth works when I beat the shit outta it," Daryl shot back, unable to contain his temper in the situation. Of course Andrea, T-Dog and Glenn were trying hard to send him pleading looks for him to just give in for once. He didn't pay them much mind, though. His focus was on the man that seemed to be in charge of the group, since he was keeping his cool rather well after Daryl voiced his opinion on the matter.

"Daryl..." came Beth's shaky voice. He finally broke eye contact with the man and glanced in her direction.

"That's your name then?" questioned the man as he walked over. "Well, Daryl," he hissed before he punched him square in the jaw. "I'm Martinez, and you're now officially our bitches."

Daryl staggered slightly from the impact. He spat out the blood that had formed in his mouth before Martinez roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and dragged him over to stand with the rest of his group.

"Get the others. I'll load these into the truck," Martinez announced before he pulled Beth away from the other man and began walking them all outside. "Make one move and blondie here won't have a head," he uttered to the rest of them as he placed the barrel of his gun right next to her head.

Everything and everyone was silent then. No one uttered a word as the mysterious group of men rounded their group up, and herded them like cattle into the back end of two large cargo trucks. Once they were all in, Martinez began getting his men together to leave. The faint sound of Sophia crying drifted from the other truck and over to the one where Beth sat with Daryl, Andrea, T-Dog and Glenn. Everyone else was loaded onto the other truck, leaving Beth to worry immensely of her sister's whereabouts.

"Hey," came Glenn's voice by her side. "Don't worry about Maggie too much. She could probably kick Daryl's ass."

Beth managed a weak smile before looking over at Daryl. He glanced back at her with a look that said so much. His eyes made everything almost okay. At least she felt safe knowing she was near him. He had saved her before, so she knew he could save her again if he had to. She just wished she knew what the hell was going on. As she stared at everyone else, she could tell they were all thinking the same thing as she was.

"Don't worry your pretty little head," came Martinez as he peered in at them. "We'll be in Woodbury soon, and then you'll get to meet the Governor. He's been dying to meet you all."

"The Governor?" questioned Andrea. "What kind of name is that?"

"The name of the devil," he replied simply. "Might as well be. As soon as he's done with all of you, you'll be wishin' you really were in hell."

His words seemed to echo through the space between the group as he walked away. It wasn't long before the trucks started moving. Silence fell once more, and not one person knew what to say. When the trucks came to a halt, the sun was rising over the horizon and giving way to new emotions to everyone. Not one of them was hope for what was to come.

* * *

Let me begin by saying that I know absolutely nothing about pool. I've never played pool in my life! Whenever I was presented to play pool, I immediately forgot everything I was taught about it. With that said, I hope I actually did that scene right. I've been wanting Beth and Daryl to play pool for a long time now, so I just looked up how to play and came across 9-Ball. Seemed easy enough. If I just so happened to have gotten it completely wrong, then just throw vegetables at me! Anyway, now that we've had that lovely bonding between Daryl and Beth, let's put everyone in peril! Hope you enjoyed those happy feelings, because I'm going to be destroying them in the next few chapters! By the way, I hope this one was interesting enough. I started to feel a little eh half way through. I'm not sure I like this chapter as much as I did when I was writing it. I'll let you guys be the judge of it, though!


	9. The Governor Part 1

"I'm sure you're all wonderin' why you're here," said the velvety smooth voice of a man from within the shadows. There was a distinct Southern accent mixed in with his charming attitude. The man was practically oozing with fake sincerity, and every last member of the group could feel how put on it was.

The man slowly moved from out of the darkness, his appearance resembling the kind of guy you'd probably see as the hero in a Western movie. "It's simple, really," he added as he stared each one of them down.

As soon as they had arrived in the back of those trucks, Martinez and his men stuck each one of them full of needles. Of course they all struggled, Daryl probably causing the most fuss. He even almost managed to break free from the two men holding him down. In the end, however, they were all put into an unconscious state, and carried to the room they had all woken up in now. Each one of them sat in a chair with their hands and legs tied, stripped of any weapons they might have had before. The room wasn't particularly huge, but it was large enough to place each chair holding an individual person into a circle in the middle of the room. The room itself looked like nothing more than a giant concrete box. The floor was concrete. The walls were concrete and had no windows. The whole place was covered in darkness, other than the middle of the room where a ceiling light hung low, swinging back and forth. Nothing stood out about it, except for the incredibly fake man standing in the middle of their circle of chairs.

"You are all here because fate has brought you here," he said with a snap of his fingers. Without much warning, Martinez pulled a chair from the shadowy part of the room the man had previously been standing in. Martinez then placed it in front of the man and he straddled it, placing his arms over the back of the chair.

No one had said much of anything since they had been woken from their sleep and ushered into the back of the cargo trucks. Fear and confusion were obviously making everyone unsure of their own voices. However, Rick was finally starting to get some sense back. He cleared his throat, drawing the crazy man's attention in his direction.

"What the hell is this?"

The man chuckled low in his throat. "This? Why, my good sir," he began as he gestured around the room. "This is a solid concrete room inside of a much larger building outside a little place I call Woodbury. As for me. Well, you can call me the Governor."

The name was familiar to Rick. It didn't take him long to remember that it was what Martinez had called his leader, after he had put them all in the back of the truck. He still couldn't believe how it had gotten to this point. One minute he was asleep, the next he had a gun in his face. All he could really think about in that moment was Lori and Carl's safety. Every single last man had a gun in their face, so he had no way of fighting back. The fact that they already had a few members of his group in their clutches made it all the more harder for him to resist. Now here he was, in a circle with his whole group as a mad man sat in in the middle. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought any minute this guy would get up and start chanting, "duck, duck, goose!"

His eyes darted around the room at everyone else. They were scared, that was for sure. They all managed to compose themselves, though. Even Sophia was doing an okay job of staying calm.

"What do you want from us?" he asked in the calmest voice he could muster.

"What do I want from you?" he repeated as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, first I want to separate you all. Maybe inject one or two of you with some more drugs before chopping off a few body parts for my collection," he said in a calm, calculating tone. He made it seem as if he was having a simple chat about the weather.

"Jesus," uttered Dale. "You're mentally insane!"

The Governor chuckled low in his throat. It was at that moment that Sophia started to breakdown. Hell, even Carol was about to hit the verge of tears. Rick almost felt like throwing up as he realized that this man was more than dead serious.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but the world is kind of in the shitter right now," snapped Daryl, causing the Governor to swivel his chair around to face him. "Ya rather play operation on random bystanders than actually try and rebuild whatever the fuck we use ta have?"

"Rebuild? Sir, I've already rebuilt a fine establishment called Woodbury," he said pointedly as he got to his feet. "But none of you will get to see that. You see, running a town can be a bit...trifling. I just needed a hobby to stifle my rage. So, I found that little estate you all were holed up in, cleaned out all the Biters and waited for unsuspecting people like you to drop in."

"You set all of that up just to capture people?" snapped Lori with disgust.

"It's harder than it looks," he retorted as he walked over to Lori and stood behind her. "Not many big groups come around. Normally we just get one or two people to stop in. Torturing one person isn't very fun, though..." he trailed off as his gaze averted toward the wall with a far off look. He seemed as if he was remembering a time from long ago.

As he spoke, he slowly ran his hands down the length off her arms. Rick tried hard to keep his cool, but a low growl of protest didn't escape the Governor's ears. The very sound made him snap away from his thoughts. He leaned down low and sniffed Lori's hair, releasing a long sigh of satisfaction before wrapping his hand around her neck. She grunted in protest as he held his hand loosely around her neck, his eyes never straying from Rick.

"Martinez," he said abruptly, causing the man to jump slightly, despite the calm nature of the Governor's voice. "I want you to take these four next door," he instructed as he pointed to Rick, Lori, Carl and Andrea. "After that, take those four to the room across the hall," he added with a gesture toward T-Dog, Dale, Carol and Sophia. "The rest of you can stay here."

Martinez nodded before moving toward the shadows and pulling open the metal door that was concealed there. He gestured for a few men standing outside to come in and help him drag the people in question to the destinations the Governor pointed him to. Once the room was cleared of everyone else, the Governor stared upon Maggie, Beth, Daryl and Glenn with that charmingly fake smile he had before. He didn't utter a single word. He stared at them as he slowly readjusted them in the middle of the room. He placed them with the back of their chairs against each other, coming to a stop in front of Maggie when he was done.

"I think you're goin' to be a screamer," he said as a grin slowly spread across his lips.

Maggie stared up at him, jerking her body forward in a momentary attempt to reach out and attack him. Her binds kept her in place, earning her an even wider grin from the psycho standing before her.

"You better be really glad I'm tied up, or I'd have kicked you in the balls by now," she uttered through clenched teeth.

A chuckle escaped the Governor's lips as he bent forward and cupped her face. "You're a firecracker. I'm gonna enjoy breakin' you."

"Don't touch her," snapped Glenn as he turned his gaze toward the Governor.

Slowly, he released her face and walked around to face Glenn. "Don't touch her?" he repeated with mock confusion on his face. "I'm gonna do more than touch her, boy," he whispered as as he reached out and smacked him hard across the face.

The sound seemed to resonate off the walls throughout the room, only to be overshadowed by the sound of his menacingly laughter. He turned on his heel and walked toward the open door, a steady stream of light being the only thing that kept the darkness of the room at bay. Once he stepped out into the lighted hall and closed the door, the room was once more bathed in the shadows.

As soon as the Governor was gone, Maggie released the breath she'd been holding. "Glenn?" she said softly, afraid to speak any louder. "Why ya gotta try and be a hero for me?"

"I wasn't really trying that hard," he replied in barely a whisper.

"This is shit," snapped Daryl, not really one to be subtle. He began jerking back and forth in his chair, trying as hard as he could to loosen the ropes around his wrists.

"Daryl, stop it," shot Maggie. "You're not doin' anything. You're just gonna hurt yourself."

"Better than fuckin' sittin' here," he snapped back at her. "I knew that place was a bad idea the moment I didn't see no dead people. I should have made Rick leave right then and there," he said as he stopped what he was doing and lowered his head. "Now he's probably dead."

"Don't say that," said Beth for the first time. Her voice was shaky and she was trying hard not to let the tears forming in her eyes fall. "We have to stay strong. Even if no one else is, we have to find a way to get out and save them."

Maggie released a sigh as she started wiggling her fingers against the ropes. "Beth, there's no hope in this situation. Stop tryin' to believe that we'll always be okay if we think positively."

"And how about you stop tryin' to always be so damn cynical," she practically shouted as she turned her head in Maggie's' direction. "We got away from the farm, didn't we?"

"At what cost!?" she shouted back.

Beth continued staring at Maggie. All Maggie could do, however, was stare at the concrete wall in front of her. She closed her eyes and let complete darkness take her vision. Glenn and Daryl remained silent, for the most part. As soon as the sister's stopped bickering, Daryl began shimming back and forth in his chair. However, everything seemed to stand still as the sound of screaming came ringing through the walls. Maggie's eyes burst open, and she slowly glanced to the wall connecting to the room next to theirs.

"Oh God," she uttered. "That's where they took the Grimes' and Andrea..."

* * *

Rick wasn't sure what he was suppose to say to any of them. This crazy man had taken them hostage, tied them up and separated them into windowless, dark rooms. Nothing was really making much sense to him right now, and all he could think about was just how twenty-four hours ago he was a content man with hopes for a brighter future. Now he was a man staring hopelessly at his wife and son as men far larger than them, tied them and himself back into their chairs against the wall opposite of the door. Of course he could hear Andrea cursing and kicking at them, but her fight could only last so long.

"You're all a bunch of cowards!" she spat as they tied her tightly into her seat. "If you were real men, you wouldn't tie us down to try and conquer us."

Martinez snorted as he finished tying her hands and came around to face her. "There's not really much conquering to be done. You and your group are just the boss man's play things until he gets bored."

"Why is he doing this?" asked Lori from Andrea's side.

"He hasn't even done anything yet," pipped up Carl, causing everyone in the room to really notice the fact there was a little boy there. "What's he goin' to do anyways? Talk us to death?"

"Ha," replied Martinez with a chuckle. "That's funny. You're a funny kid." He continued to chuckle as the Governor strode into the room and slammed the door behind him. Instantly, Martinez went silent.

The Governor leered over them in silence, his footsteps echoing in the room as he paced back and forth. He didn't utter a single word. He simply pointed to Carl and beckoned for one of the men to untie him.

"No!" snapped Rick with horror in his eyes. "Take me first."

The Governor snarled at him before moving over and grabbing his shoulders roughly. "This isn't that kind of deal, sir. I pick who I want, and then I do what I want."

Before Rick could say anything more, he was slammed roughly against the wall. The chair fell over sideways and his head connected with the concrete floor. Carl cried out for him as he slowly slipped into unconscious from the blow to his head.

"You know somethin'," chimed the Governor as he gripped Carl's shoulders gently. "I don't know any of your names yet. What's your name, little boy?"

Carl stared helplessly at his father before glancing toward his mother, her face scrunched up in as much pain as he was certain Rick felt right now. When the Governor shook him roughly, he forced himself to make eye contact with him as he replied.

"Carl. My name is Carl," he said in barely a whisper.

"Very good, Carl. I'm guessing the man on the floor is you daddy, right?"

"Yes," he said hoarsely, his voice beginning to crack as tears threatened to fall. "His name is Rick. My mom is Lori."

A grin full of malice slowly spread across his lips. "I'm guessing the beautiful brunette is your mom?" he questioned in a low voice as he bent down to Carl's level. Carl's only reply was a nod of his head, finally finding words were too much.

"And the blonde? What's her name?"

"Andrea," quipped the woman in question. "How about you stop tormenting the little kid and pick on someone your own size."

The Governor's eyes slowly drew to hers. His grin never once faltered as he shoved Carl into the arms of one of the other men in the room with him. In a whirlwind of gestures and commands, the Governor instructed Martinez to fetch him a bucket of water. When he returned with the bucket, Andrea was whipped from her chair and dragged over to it. He wasted no time in repeatedly dunking her head over and over into the water. Carl watched in horror as he held her under for a minute, her body violently jerking about. When she fell silent, he pulled her from the bucket and threw her by her hair onto the floor.

"Don't you _ever_ tell me what to do again in _my _house!" he shouted as she heaved the water from her lungs. She gasped and sputtered about, trying helplessly to regain the precious air she had momentarily lost.

"Governor," began Martinez, causing the man to turn in his direction with curious eyes. The moment he was looking at him, he completely lost his nerve to say anything about what he had just witnessed. It wasn't like it was the first time he had seen this man attack people. As a matter of fact, he knew he was to blame for many deaths by the Governor's hand. The estate this group had shacked up in was a trap, after all. Only a few people had fallen for it so far, so the Governor had only had one or two people to torture. Martinez had been appalled at first, and he found he still was. However, this man was his closet friend in this world. Not to mention the most deadliest. He never wanted to cross him, even if he knew what was happening was wrong.

"Never mind," he uttered under his breath as he came over and gently pulled Andrea to her feet. Without another word, he took her back to her seat and tied her up.

The Governor watched him for a moment before turning to Carl. "Put this one up too. I'm going to go get acquainted with the other four across the hall. I'll leave the rest for tomorrow."

"Alright, sir," he replied with a nod.

"And Martinez," he began just as he opened the metal door, allowing that light from the hallway to pour inside like before. "You're my number one." He turned and gave him the most genuine smile he had made since the group had arrived.

"Thank you, sir. Always a pleasure," he said with another nod before the Governor turned on his heel and left. Once he was gone, Martinez glanced around the semi dark room. He took notice of Rick lying on the floor, still unconscious, then he moved and picked him up. He noticed that Lori and Carl were silently shedding tears, not once saying anything else. He took a look at the huffing Andrea, then he moved and took Carl from the other guard. After they were all tied back in their chairs, Martinez made his way to the door and took his leave. He didn't stop to look back. He didn't stop to think about it. In the end, all he wanted to do was forget he ever saw any of their faces.

* * *

Bet you guys weren't expecting an update so soon! I am uncertain again, though. This is actually a story line that I am both excited for, and uncertain for. I'm excited because I have been hyping it up A LOT, but that is why I'm also a little uncertain. I don't wanna make this stupid, and I'm feeling a little bit of dread about the next few chapters. The Governor's only reason behind taking these people hostage is simply because he wants to torture people! Believe it or not, I actually feel like that's the Governor. That's basically his character in the comic book version. The show version is VERY watered down, in my opinion. He's actually an extreme pussy to me. He reminds me of that kid in class that starts bullying you just because you have a better toy than him. The comic book Governor is just an asshole. I did use a lot of the show Governor's charm, but I wanted to go more for the comic version. I hope that you guys don't want to throw pitchforks at me, because things are going to get more evil...I hope. How about we play a game to make things interesting? Tell me who you think is gonna die first! The first death is in the next chapter, so I wanna see who you think I'm going to murder!


	10. The Governor Part 2

The sun was starting to rise and greet the bustling town of Woodbury. Once the night dissolved into light, everyone was awake and about. The Governor watched from the window of his room as everyone walked around the town, never the wiser of the evil that lurks outside. He released a sigh of content before a knock at his door drew his attention away from the outside world.

"Come in!" he bellowed over his shoulder. Before the person entered the room, he was staring thoughtfully out his window once more.

"Good morning, Phillip," came the gentle voice of Milton as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "I bring you the morning report concerning the ongoing experiment and our current supply status."

"Excellent," he replied as Milton moved toward the desk to place his folder. "So much is going on here lately. It's hard to keep track of everything with the new group."

Milton halted in front of the desk. He slowly reached out and placed the folder down, trying hard to think of words to say about the Governor's "guests". In all the time he'd known the man, he knew he wasn't completely all right in the head. It never really phased him, though. He gave Milton the freedom to pursue his ideas, even if they were a bit conventional. He knew it was a long shot to discover whether or not the dead retained any memories of their former life, but he was willing to try if it meant possibly saving the world. He was a man of logic. He knew he had the brains to figure things out if he put his mind to it. No one else seemed to be trying anymore. Most everyone had given up hope that there was a chance of saving the world from this plague. Milton, however, refused to let his mind go to waste. If that meant turning a blind eye to everything the Governor did, he'd happily do so. Just like he knew a few of his other men did so. Martinez was a prime example. The man had a heart buried deep below his tough exterior.

"Governor," he began as he turned to face him. "You should consider making that group's stay here as short as possible. It'll cost rations we don't have to take care of them."

He slowly turned his head in his direction, a smile gracing his lips. "Don't worry about that, Milton. I plan to cut a few of them short today."

Milton managed a half smile in return. "Very good, sir."

"Speaking of that group," he said abruptly, turning completely to face him. "Martinez told me that one of them is named Daryl. Didn't Merle mention he had a brother named Daryl?"

The mention of Merle instantly made Milton groan inwardly. "I believe so. Do you...want me tell him his brother is here or-"

"No!" he snapped harshly, causing Milton to step back an inch. "Merle doesn't need to know. He's one of my top men. I need him focused," he explained as he began to pace the room. "Besides, I don't think he'd take too kindly to knowing what I plan to do to him and his friends."

"Of course," he replied softly as he gripped the edge of the table. "And you can't simply let Daryl go. He knows too much."

The Governor stopped in the middle of the room and turned toward him with a wide grin. "Exactly. This is why you're my main man, Milton."

"Thank you, sir," he said with a half smile before lowering his eyes to the ground.

Before the Governor could say anything else, a knock on the door turned his gaze away from Milton. When he called out for the person to enter, the man they had been speaking of strode into the room.

"Mighty fine day, Gov'nor," he announced as he walked over to him and nodded his head. His eyes trailed the room before they landed on Milton. "Mildred."

"My name is Milton," he corrected haughtily as he stood up straight, trying hard to project confidence.

"Same difference," he uttered with a wave of his hand.

"Is there a reason you're interrupting my important meeting with the Governor?" The whole time he spoke, Merle stared him down with a mocking grin. Milton never knew why out of everyone in the whole town, it was him that Merle chose to constantly berate.

"Matter of fact, there so happens to be somethin' the Gov'nor should see," he said with a wave of his hand, not particularly gesturing to anything.

The Governor and Milton exchanged a look, the same thought passing through their heads. However, Merle didn't ask them to follow him to the Governor's secret. Instead, he opened the door and whistled to someone standing outside. One of the few men that knew about the secret they hid walked in with an elderly man leaning against him. Curiosity dawned on the Governor's face as he watched the guard gently help the old man sit down on the Governor's bed.

"Says his name is Hershel," explained Merle, gaining the attention of the Governor once more. "He was wonderin' around outside. Said his farm got taken over and he lost everyone, except his daughters."

"Yes," interjected Hershel softly. "I've been lookin' for them ever since. I tracked them through the woods as best I could, but I ended up gettin' lost once I reached the highway."

"That's horrible," said the Governor in a fake, sincere tone. He moved over to Hershel and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe they'll turn up here. After all, the world can seem a lot smaller than it really is."

Hershel put his hands on his knees as he leaned forward, cocking his head back to look up at the man attempting to comfort him. He wasn't an idiot. He could see fake intentions a mile away. However, he wasn't going to question the fact he was faker than Dolly Parton's boobs. He was exhausted and weak from days of traveling on the road. He wasn't even sure how he managed to live as long as he had. The only thing that kept him moving forward was the thought of being reunited with Maggie and Beth. Now that he was safely behind the walls of this town, he wasn't sure if he'd ever have that again. He knew that if his daughters were still out there and facing the horrors of the world, he would never be able to live any sort of life here.

With that thought in his head, he slowly pushed himself to his feet. "I can't wait here," he said as he stumbled back onto the bed. "I can't...wait for somethin' to happen. I gotta find em'. I gotta find Maggie and Beth..."

"You are in no condition to be moving," stated the Governor as he pat Hershel's shoulder. "Best if you stay here and recover for a few days. After that, you can go back out there."

He turned his gaze to the wall opposite of the bed before getting to his feet, and clasping his hands behind his back. "I wouldn't recommend it, though. After all, it's so much safer here."

Hershel stared at his back for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "If I wanted to be safe, I'd have ended my own life for a peaceful one by the Lord's side," he snapped as he got to his feet once more, staggering slightly where he stood. "My daughters need me. I'm not goin' to abandon them."

A rather awkward silence fell over all four of them for what seemed like eternity. Finally, Merle cleared his throat and gently took Hershel by the arm. "Then let's get ya all healed up. Don't need ya keeling over outta excitement."

The Governor's only response as he turned toward the two of them was a smile. It was just as fake as his concern, and a little unnerving to Hershel. He wasn't sure if he was going to feel safe here at all. He knew that he needed to get better as soon as possible. That was the only way he was ever going to find Maggie and Beth again.

After settling down and agreeing to stay, The Governor instructed Merle where to take Hershel. For now, he obediently followed Merle out of the Governor's home and out into the streets of Woodbury. As he glanced around, all he could see was happy people doing somewhat normal things. People were smiling and talking to each other as they exchanged food and clothes. There wasn't anything remotely off about the scene. The only thing that was unsettling was the Governor's facade. Hershel knew people like him. He had many unfortunate pleasures of dealing with people that put on airs for the sake of the rest of the world. It never really phased him until now. Now that he was going to be living under the same roof, so to speak, as the man that could probably care less if he lived or died.

"Hey," came the gruff voice of the man next to him. He was certain that he had gone by the name Merle. "Where was your farm at anyway?"

"Not too far from Senoia," he replied as he eyed him wearily. "Why?"

"No reason," he said rather harshly, his eyes not once glancing in his direction. "Just thought maybe you'd have run into my brother..."

"What's his name, son?"

Merle couldn't help but chuckle at the way he so casually said the word son. He finally took a glance at Hershel to see he was staring at him with confusion. He suddenly felt odd to have laughed out loud in the old man's presence. He didn't know him or his story. He wouldn't understand why that word made him laugh and cringe all at the same time.

"Daryl," he stated dryly. The name felt so bitter in his mouth. He wasn't bitter toward his brother. He just didn't know if he was still alive or not. Of course he knew he shouldn't even question that. Daryl was his blood, after all. If anyone was going to survive out there, it would be a Dixon like him. He never really told him often that he respected his strength. There was never really a moment that felt right to say it without sounding like they were on some soap opera. Feelings didn't come easy to either one of them, so most of the time they just grunted like cavemen.

Feeling a little awkward about the silence, Merle cleared his throat and released his grip on Hershel. "There it is," he announced as he pointed toward a building a few feet away. "That there is the medical center. The doc will get ya fixed up real good."

"Thank you," he said with a nod of his head.

"Just doin' my job," he uttered in reply as he clasped the old man on the back, sending him forward a few steps. He then stood back and silently watched him enter the building. Once he was certain he was inside, he turned on his heel and made his way back to his post. All the while, the Governor was watching from his window.

Milton had long left his presence, leaving him to ponder upon the old man. He could sense he wasn't very trusting of him. That little tidbit made the thought of getting rid of him tempting. He couldn't have anyone messing up his set up. However, he pushed it aside to worry about later; if the man ever decided to cause an issue. After ridding himself of those thoughts, he decided to step outside his house and take a stroll around town. His destination was clear. He intended to go visit his guests again. He had spent a good deal with Rick's group the other day, now he fully intended to spend some time with Carol, Sophia, T-Dog and Dale.

He had visited them before calling it a day, but he hadn't had much time to spend with them. All he managed to do was learn their names. He was interested in the young girl the most. She had reminded him so much of his Penny that it made his heart ache. His dear Penny was still alive to him, though. She was one of those Biters, but he had kept her. She was another one of his little secrets. The only people that knew about her existence was Milton, Merle and Martinez. He trusted them to keep his secrets well. He wished he could trust Merle with this secret, because he knew full well that he would enjoy watching Rick suffer. After what he had told him about Rick, he didn't blame him for being bitter.

On his way out of town, he was merrily greeted by every townsfolk that passed him. He happily greeted them back, each one of them buying into his fake smile and genuine interest in their well being. He could honestly say he didn't give a shit about any of these people. They were expendable. They were the ultimate facade for his perfect world. He wanted to be a ruler, and they gladly sat by as he did what he pleased. He suspected none of them would even bat an eye if they knew what he was doing to most newcomers that came around. Most people they found were too smart for their own good. All of the people that Martinez and his men brought from Brownfield Estate could easily see through him. They knew what kind of monster he was because they had had to result to being like him in order to survive. He didn't want smart people following him. Smart people usually got wise and tried to take what was his. No, he needed dumb people. The kind of people that he happily greeted on his way to torture the innocent.

* * *

"I think someone's coming," whispered Carol. She was trying as hard as she could to keep the panic in her voice to a minimum, but all she could think of right now was the safety of her daughter and everyone else. Screw even thinking about herself. She knew what was going on with her. It was everyone else that wasn't with them that she was extremely concerned for.

When the echo of footsteps stopped outside their door, she gently tapped the fingers she could move against her daughter's hand in an effort to comfort her. They were sitting side by side, facing Dale and T-Dog that sat side by side on the opposite side of the room. Once the door flung open, the light in the halls invaded the room and made each of them squint their eyes. The only light they had come to know was the simple ceiling light hanging in the middle of the room. The more she thought about it, the more Carol felt like she was in an old cop movie being interrogated.

The Governor didn't say any words. He moved into the center of the room, standing in the perfect spot to glance to either his left or right and see any one of his victims. He turned on Carol and Sophia, a soft smile on his lips as he moved closer. He stopped in front of Sophia's trembling form and reached out a hand. Before he could touch her, she retracted in fear.

"Don't be scared, little one. As long as you do what I say, no harm will come to you or your mother."

Carol stared at him in disbelief. "How could you say that to a little girl?"

He didn't even spare a glance at Carol. He placed a hand on Sophia's head and sighed contently. "You remind me so much of my daughter, Sophia. I don't want to hurt you."

Sophia flinched as his hand touched the tender flesh of her scalp. She closed her eyes tight and tried not to let the tears threatening to fall show.

"Would you like to leave this place?" he asked as he crouched down to her eye level. "All ya have to do is say the word."

Sophia slowly opened her eyes and stared into his cold gaze. "I wanna leave. I wanna see my friends! Let us go!" she practically shouted into his face.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetheart," he replied in that Southern drawl, really laying the charm on thick. "If you come with me, I might not kill your mother."

"That's enough!" snapped Carol as horror registered in Sophia's eyes. "Leave her alone."

This time when she screamed at him, he turned his gaze on her. His charm instantly disappeared once he was looking at her. He decided to take the silent route. He didn't say a single word as he stood up straight and moved in front of her. He was rather surprised that these people still didn't get it. This was his world. They had no say here anymore. The only thing they should do is nod their head and accept their punches. He decided for Carol that a few slaps in the face were just as good.

His hand connected with her cheek and the sound resounded throughout the room. Sophia instantly cried out, but her words were unintelligible through her intense sobbing. As he reached out and roughly grabbed Carol by the hair, he was none the wiser of the two men on the other side. They were both in shock as they watched, but T-Dog was doing all he could to untie himself from his restraints. He had been trying all day and night to break free. He was certain most of everyone else was as well, but he felt like maybe he had a better chance.

When he was younger, he had been apart of a magic act with a friend of his. It wasn't something he first thought of when asked about his former life, because it was something he had only done for a talent show in school. One of those acts involved rope, so he had spent quite a great deal of time handling ropes. Needless to say, he was thankful that his useless knack for rope maneuvering was actually a handle trait in this situation. He was fairly close to undoing them as the Governor kept his focus on Carol, whispering threatening words into her ear most likely. He had sped up the process once the Governor entered the room, so he silently did a victory dance in his mind once he felt the pressure of his ropes leave his wrists.

The rope fell to the floor, gaining Dale's attention at his side. T-Dog put a finger to his lips to suggest that he remain quiet, then he did his best to sneak up behind the Governor and put him in a choke hold.

"Now who's fucking house is it?" he said into his ear as he backed him away from Carol.

"How the hell did you get free!?" he snapped in return as he struggled to break away from T-Dog's grip.

"Don't matter no more. Let us go," he demanded as calm as he could. His heart was racing against his chest, though. He was afraid that any minute this could turn around and bite him in the ass.

"You seem to forget who you're dealing with," he said softly, almost calm.

T-Dog instantly knew that the situation was never under his control. The Governor bellowed for his guards and they rushed inside. It didn't take much to tackle T-Dog off of their leader and hold him to the ground. Dale watched with silent horror, but Carol and Sophia kept making noises of protest. None of the men or their mighty leader paid the women much mind.

"You thought you could save everyone?" he questioned as he moved to stand over the struggling T-Dog. "You're absolutely useless," he said softly as he placed his hand on the hilt of his knife, sheathed and dangling from his belt.

T-Dog's eyes widen in fear and began kicking at the air. As two men held his upper body down, another quickly restrained his legs, getting kicked in the stomach in the process. Once he was completely restrained against the ground, the Governor fell to his knees at his side and repeatedly stabbed him in the chest. Sophia and Carol's cries echoed throughout the room, mixing in with the sound of T-Dog's screams. It wasn't long before his body stopped moving about, and he lie limp on the ground below the men holding him down. His blood splattered all over the floor and the men above him. The three holding him down felt rather sick, but the Governor just grinned.

"Take him somewhere quiet and wait for him to turn. I want to keep him for other uses," he instructed as he pushed himself to his feet and pulled a dirty rag from his pocket. He hummed a happy tune as he wiped T-Dog's blood from his knife.

The men nodded their understanding before collecting the heavy man and exiting the room. After they were gone, the Governor instructed another man to clean up the mess on the floor. He placed his knife back into the holster on his belt before moving into the center of the room. His eyes fell on the empty chair next to Dale, and a sigh escaped his lips.

"Do you understand now?" he questioned as he glanced from Dale to Carol and Sophia. "This is my world. You either do what I say, or you die."

Dale continued to silently stare off into nothing, while Carol slowly regained herself and hung her head. Sophia was openly crying, wishing for nothing more than to be hugged by her mother.

"Simple as that," he said before he turned on his heel and walked toward the door. He waited for the other man that had just finished cleaning up T-Dog's blood. He nodded to him as he opened the door and walked out into the hallway without sparing one glance in their direction.

Once he was gone, silence remained in the room. The only thing that could be heard was Sophia's sobbing at the fresh memory of their fallen friend.

* * *

I'm actually not surprised that everyone guessed wrong about who I was going to kill first. No one was probably expecting a whole chapter dedicated to the Governor's daily life outside the little building of horror. Also, I made up that whole thing concerning T-Dog. He seems like such a blank slate, that I think it's easy to just make up whatever for him. Anyway, I think this is where I got all over the place with my thoughts regarding the Governor. I'm trying to interpret as much of what the Governor does in the show, along with this new idea that he's holding people hostage for his own amusement. But you guys don't really care about that! You're all probably really excited to see Hershel. And you'll be happy to know that yes, he does get reunited with his daughters soon. Probably not how you'd like them to be reunited, but they will get reunited. Prepare the pitchforks!


	11. The Governor Part 3

"Did you hear that?" questioned Glenn as he tried his best to glance around at everyone. Beth was at his back, but Maggie and Daryl were on his sides.

"Yeah," uttered Daryl after a minute passed in silence.

"What the hell is going on?" snapped Maggie, her eyes darting all around the room. She wished like hell that something would stick out to her. All she saw was shadows on the wall. It felt as if the very darkness was moving in upon them, trying to eat them alive. At this point, she'd probably welcome being eaten by a Walker.

The door suddenly burst open, and the man they loved to hate stepped inside, with three other men following close behind. Daryl was the only one with the best vantage point to see him, and what he saw terrified him more than he allowed himself to show. The front of his shirt was covered in fresh blood. He didn't have to be a genius to know it wasn't Walker blood. The rest of his appearance was as normal as normal could be. His hair was a little disheveled, and his usual smile was more forced. He was a man coming down from an adrenaline high. Daryl didn't even want to think about who's blood it was that covered him.

He closed the door behind him before approaching them. Daryl tried to follow his movements, but there came a point where turning his head would result in snapping it right off his neck. His footsteps seemed to echo through the room, and he managed to make the simple act of walking seem more menacing than it really was.

"One of you is dead now," he announced casually, just as if he were talking about something normal and pleasant. However, his words were far from anything pleasant.

No one replied to his statement. Maggie and Beth certainly looked horrified, and Glenn tried his best not to let the fear show in his eyes. Daryl was much better at hiding his fear. He didn't even let the thought of who it might be pass through his mind. He couldn't let himself think of little Carl or Sophia, too young to even understand what the hell this was all about. He couldn't even let himself think of Rick, a man that he was slowly growing to respect and consider a close friend.

"No tears for your fallen friend?" he asked as he waved his hands around. "You four must be the tough ones," he stated as he reached for his knife, and one by one undid their ropes.

"Don't try anything funny," he said dryly with a gesture toward the men behind him, each of them holding a gun. "Up against the wall."

Maggie gently rubbed her wrists before getting to her feet. Beth, Daryl and Glenn all followed her to the opposite wall of the exit. When Daryl's eyes fell upon the door, the Governor wagged his finger at him as if he were a child that had just been caught doing something bad. In some ways, he felt like he was a child again. It was sad that this whole situation reminded him so much of his past. Of course his father was a sick bastard, but he probably wasn't anything compared to this guy. He felt ill to even remotely compliment his father by thinking he wasn't as bad as the crazy guy, holding them hostage and killing them all one by one.

"Turn around and spread em'," he instructed, earning rather guarded looks from each of them. He simply grinned before grabbing Maggie by random and forcefully turning her around to face the wall. She grunted as he roughly pushed her face first into the hard concrete.

Unlike the others of their group, they didn't protest to his man handling. He felt rather proud that they got it. They knew they couldn't fight him. They knew that if they tried, they'd make it worse on themselves. He became even more proud when the other three turned around and spread out against the wall, as if waiting to be searched down by a cop. When he pulled away, Maggie unwillingly did the same.

"You know, I know all of your friends names, but I don't know any of yours. Well, besides Daryl here," he said as he marched down the line until he came to a stop in front of Daryl's back. He was at one end, and Glenn was at the other. Beth was to his right with Maggie on her right.

He leered at Daryl's back for a moment before moving to the girl next to him. "What's your name, darlin'?"

Beth tried everything to resist the urge to puke when he called her that. She was also certain that out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daryl clench his hands into fists.

"Beth," she said bluntly.

"Beth?" he asked with amusement. It didn't take long for him to realize what that meant. Standing right in front of him was one of Hershel's daughters. He almost wanted to laugh at how ironic this was. Out of everyone in the world, Hershel's daughter just so happen to be one of the people he had taken captive for his enjoyment.

"Tell me who the other two are," he said softly as he moved to stand in front of Maggie. As he waited for Beth's reply, he slowly ran the cold steel of his knife down the length of her arm, causing her to visibly shiver. Whether it was from the cold contact of steel on her flesh, or the simple act of disgust, he honestly didn't care.

"Maggie and Glenn," she said in a shaky voice, obviously trying far too hard to hide the fact she was scared out of her mind. He was instantly impressed by how well both Hershel's girls seemed to be able to handle themselves.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Maggie," he said as he leaned over her, his breath hitting against her ear as he leaned in closer. "I think I'd enjoy having some time alone with you."

"And I think I'd enjoy throwing up," she snapped bitterly, venom laced in each word.

Before he had a chance to say anything, she brought her head back and smacked him square in the jaw. The force caused him to accidentally bite down upon his lip and draw blood. He stumbled backwards and groaned as he held onto his jaw, blood streaming from the edge of his lips. He held up a hand to still his men when they started to move forward, and then he spat the blood onto the ground.

"I guess I was wrong about you," he said as he jabbed his knife repeatedly against the wall between Maggie and Beth's hands. They both jumped at the sudden noise of steel against concrete. "And here I thought you were going to be smart and not fight me."

His eyes ventured over her before slowly turning onto Beth. "Hurting you wouldn't make a point. Hurting your sister, on the other hand..." he trailed off as a grin came to his lips at the mention of hand. He could see Beth shaking under his gaze, and he knew that she'd definitely be a screamer.

In one swift motion he drew his knife back and brought it back down into Beth's hand. The blood curdling scream that echoed through the room sent a pleasurable chill up his spine. He could see Maggie resisting the urge to take action. He held the knife in her hand, twisting it until Beth's knees bucked and she nearly fell to the ground. However, Daryl quickly took hold of her other hand and held it firmly under his own, trying hard to keep her upright with his strength.

"Such a shame that I had to do that," he said as he slowly removed the knife from her hand, blood dripping down her arm and down the wall. "Such a pretty girl she is. But, you can blame sister dearest for that."

To her credit, Beth managed to remain standing. She also managed to keep the pain from showing on her face. He was very certain there was a lot of it. It helped that Daryl remained clutching her unscathed hand. The Governor could swear he heard him whispering to her, but he didn't care. As long as they behaved, they could whisper their promises of freedom to each other all they wanted. They were never leaving. Or at least not all of them. He very much wanted that little girl. He couldn't explain why she reminded him of Penny, but he just needed a reminder of something that use to be good. He could certainly due well with having another daughter that wasn't a walking corpse. Other that that, Maggie was definitely another thing he wanted. Although, he wanted her for different reasons. Suddenly, his mind started to picture a pleasant little family with Sophia and Maggie. Maybe he'd even let Beth join, just because he could tell she'd be a perfect big sister figure.

He licked his lips before reaching out and grabbing a hold of Beth's bloody wrist. "Come."

"No," she uttered with meek confidence, but confidence nonetheless.

"Come," he stated more firmly, gripping onto her wrist roughly. When he jerked her away from the wall, however, she barely moved an inch. His eyes traveled toward the hand that still held onto her tightly, and he was instantly filled with annoyance.

"Let her go," he said about as calmly as he could, given the fact his face lost all its tolerance. Being put in a choke hold by T-Dog didn't break him. Being smacked in the face by Maggie's head didn't remotely phase him. But Daryl refusing to let go of Beth at that moment, sent rage rushing through every fiber of his being. He knew these people were tough. He saw it in their eyes. Some of them reflected more grit than others, but all of them had definitely been through some shit. However, he thought they'd have enough intelligence to know that fighting his wrath only made their stay with him worse. If anything, it made him want to prolong their death as much as possible. They probably thought if they were annoying enough, they'd get sent to an early grave. He wasn't going to fall for that. He wasn't going to let them get their death wish.

"If you don't release her right now, I'm going to chop both your hands off," he practically shouted, finally letting himself show the true crazy that was hidden behind all his false charm.

Daryl slowly brought his gaze to meet the Governor, but he didn't show any fear. He felt Beth's grip loosen, and he knew she was trying to tell him something. He wanted nothing more than to beat the ever loving crap out of this mad man, but his gaze fell upon Beth and saw her weaken state. She was in pain, that much was for sure. It truly broke his heart to see her like that. After seeing her smile and giggle like everything was right with the world, he just couldn't imagine seeing her doing anything other than smile.

With a sigh of regret, he slowly released her hand. He didn't want to know what the Governor was going to do to her. He honestly couldn't bring himself to think about it. He saw the way the Governor leered at Maggie, and it disgusted him. He didn't want to let go of her to face whatever torment he had originally planned for her older sister. However, when he released her, the Governor led her over to an empty chair and instructed one of the men to bring him a gauze. It both amazed and terrified Daryl. Why was he suddenly being nice to Beth, when only seconds ago he was teetering over the edge of insanity? Was this guy even for real?

"See, I'm not all that bad," he drawled sweetly, but it just made Beth cringe. He ignored the look on her face as he gently wrapped her bleeding hand. "I'm sorry I had to hurt you like that, but your sister had to learn a lesson."

Beth stared at him as best she could. Her vision was slightly blurry from the blood loss and the lack of food. Not to mention the fact she didn't sleep at all the night before, being too busy listening to the deafening silence that surrounded them. However, she knew that she had to take the opportunity that was given to her. Maybe there was some sane part still left in the Governor that would listen to a weak and defenseless teenager. Or at least she was going to try to put on the best performance to make him see she was weak. She had never thought she could be strong, but she felt like she had proven something by not passing out from the pain of his knife in her hand. She felt like now more than ever, she needed to be more like her sister and less like her hopeful self.

"Mr. Governor," she began hoarsely, her throat feeling strained from all the screaming. "Please let us go. You don't have to do this. We won't tell anyone."

The Governor stared into her eyes and for a moment, Beth thought she saw real understanding. "I can't do that, Beth. You see, I trust you. What's not to trust about you," he stated more than asked, waving his hand as if he were trying to swat away a fly. "I just don't trust everyone else you're with."

"If you trust me so much, then why can't you trust the fact I can make everyone stay quiet about what you did?" she asked as she peered into his eyes, pouring every ounce of the innocence everyone said she was so good at creating. "You stabbed me in the hand and threatened to kill my sister, and I'm sittin' here tellin' you that we won't tell anyone what you did. Isn't that enough?"

He sighed as he placed his hand in her lap and stood to his feet. It almost felt as if he was having a real emotion. She almost felt as if she were getting through to him, until he glanced toward her sister behind him and grinned.

"How about I give you something better?" he said with animated excitement. It almost felt as if he was about to turn into a cartoon, with the way he kept flinging his hands about.

"Would you like to see your father?" he asked as he turned back to Beth's shocked face.

Maggie couldn't hold it anymore. She turned around to face the Governor and Beth, and saw her sister's expression that probably mirrored her own. Maggie was certain she was having the same thoughts as her. This man was lower than low. If he actually knew anything about their father, then chances were he had already done something terrible to him.

"My father is dead," Beth said with so much conviction that Maggie, Daryl and Glenn all felt as if their hearts were breaking for her. It was Beth saying this. She was the most hopeful one of all. Before they even met the group, Beth kept telling Maggie how much she believed their father was alive and well. She felt as if she just knew it was true. However, Maggie knew she was saying those words in order to take control of the situation. Honestly, Maggie was amazed that Beth was trying to negotiation with the Governor at all. She vaguely wondered if their new companions had anything to do with her rise in confidence. Beth had always been okay about everything, but she had never been sure of herself. The only thing she had ever really been sure about was their father's well being.

"I guess the man named Hershel that told me he has two daughters named Beth and Maggie is simply a coincidence, huh?" he asked as he moved away from her, so sure that she wouldn't attempt anything.

"What did you do to him!?" she shouted as she got to her feet and turned to face him. She swayed where she stood, the blood loss still making her dizzy, and Maggie resisted the urge to move toward her.

"Ah, then he is your father?" he asked slyly as he turned to face her. "I'll let you see him. All you have to do is get your sister to come with me. Of course you can come too. We can be a happy family. You, Maggie, Hershel and me."

"Wh-" began Beth. She wasn't even sure how to respond to that. "You expect us to live with you and pretend to be a family?"

"I had planned for Sophia to be in the picture, but I think you're growing on me much more," he stated so seriously that Beth had to resist the urge to laugh. Not that she really could if she really wanted to. Laughter seemed like an emotion she didn't know anymore

Instead, she sat down in the chair and stared blankly at the floor. "You take us hostage. Separate us. Torture us..." she trailed off as she slowly brought her gaze up to meet Maggie's. "Now you want to turn us into the fucking Brady Bunch?"

"Well, I'm finding you and your sister very amusing," he said as he walked toward her until he was standing behind her, and then he placed his hands on her shoulders. She instantly froze as he pressed his lips against her ear. "I want to keep you."

"You are one crazy fucker," barked Daryl. He had managed to stay quiet so far. Even though every time he looked at the Governor so close to Beth, he wanted to just snap his neck in half. He wished like hell he had his crossbow, but there was no way of knowing where these motherfucker's took it. Now this whack job was trying to turn everything into sunshine and rainbows. He couldn't just stand idly by and watch anymore. These people were all he had in this God forsaken world. Glenn was his friend. Maggie was a little crazy, but still a good friend for all instances and purposes. And Beth, she was definitely something he never knew he needed. She had this way about her that just made him feel better. Even for the short amount of time he had known her, she had clawed her way into his heart. A heart he never even knew still cared.

"Bet ya don't even have him anymore," he said as he slowly turned and pressed his back against the wall. "Ya just talkin' out your ass, tryin' to make a helpless girl fall into your sick and twisted world. I know what ya want from em'. Ya don't want a family. Ya just wanna fuck with em'."

The Governor pulled himself up straight, his steely gaze peering into Daryl's own hard stare. Beth stared at him as well, uncertain of what to make of his statement. She was thankful he was taking the attention off of her, but did he really think the Governor was lying about having her father? She didn't have much time to ponder on it, though. He moved away from her and walked over to Daryl. He then slammed his knife into the wall next to his head, leaving a little dent this time. Daryl didn't once flinch. He didn't even grunt as the Governor pulled the knife back and sliced into Daryl's side, merely making a scar and nicking off a hunk of flesh.

"You don't know the first thing about me, Daryl. Just like you don't know the first thing about your own brother," he said as he pulled back and slammed the knife into his shoulder. This time Daryl couldn't hide the pain that ran through him. He grit his teeth together and stared back at the Governor, his face only a few inches away from his own face.

"What the fuck you know about my brother?" he grunted through his clenched teeth.

"I know he would be thrilled to know you're here," he replied as he pulled back. "Unfortunately, we only have time for one family appearance today. Martinez!"

Daryl had plenty of time to process the Governor's words, as Martinez came in and was given hushed instructions. Daryl didn't respond to the Governor's statement the entire time Martinez was gone, though. He wasn't entirely sure what to even say. When Martinez returned a few minutes later, he was pulling along a bewildered Hershel. Beth instantly stood to her feet, knocking her chair over in the process.

"Daddy!" she cried and made to rush toward him, but the Governor quickly grabbed her by her hair.

Maggie's emotions went from confused to excited, only to end up to horror as she watched the Governor toss her sister into the arms of one of his men. The man held the gun to her head, daring her to make any move. The other men held their guns up to Maggie, Glenn and Daryl. Neither one of them moved either. Of course Glenn hadn't really done anything throughout the whole exchange, other than silently watch with horror and shock in his eyes.

"I knew there was somethin' bad about you," said Hershel in that calm voice his daughters were so use to hearing. He never yelled at them when they were in trouble. The worst thing you could ever experience from a parent was silent disappointment. Hershel had practically perfected the silent treatment.

"Maybe you should have trusted your gut," snapped the Governor as he walked over to Hershel and roughly grabbed him by the arm. Without saying anything else, he made a makeshift table out of two chairs and tied Hershel to them. He then moved to the open door and out into the hall. He was gone for only a minute, but the tension was thick in the air. When he returned, he held up a machete and marched his way over to Hershel. Maggie moved quickly to stop him, but was instantly caught by Martinez and held tightly against his chest.

"You know, this hurts me more than it'll hurt you," informed the Governor just before he brought the machete down upon Hershel's leg at the knee and cut it clean off. His screams, mixed with Beth and Maggie's sobs, were the last thing Hershel heard before he passed out.

* * *

I have to admit that this is my favorite chapter so far. I love it simply because of Daryl's constant need to protect Beth. He doesn't know why, he just knows he has to protect her no matter what! I mean, Maggie could easily do it too, but he still feels the urge to try and keep her safe from this crazy guy. I also love that Beth's taking a chance to try and stand up for herself and everyone else. She's trying to prove that she's not just some little kid. She took a blow for the team, and now she's trying to talk them out of it. But most of all, Hershel is finally reunited with Maggie and Beth! Not how he probably wanted to be reunited, but he's _mostly_ all there. This is kind of my homage to him losing his leg in the show, and to the fact the Governor is the one that killed him. Don't take that the wrong way! I'm gonna just put a spoiler here and say I'm not killing Hershel. I'm not that evil. However, there is one more person I plan to kill, and one of you did guess who that is. I'll let you look over the reviews and figure it out for yourselves.


	12. The Aftermath

Beth stared helplessly at her father's nub. The Governor hadn't stuck around very long after he mutilated him. He didn't even instruct his men to tie them back to their chairs. It didn't really matter if she was tied up anyway. Beth was rooted to the spot, her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped firmly around them. She wanted to go to her father's side, but she was afraid to know if he was dead or not. She couldn't tell if he was breathing from where she sat. She couldn't really see anything through her blurry eyes, courtesy of her ever flowing tears. She knew the men that worked for their tormentor were still in the room, guarding them as they waited for a medic that Martinez had called for on his hand radio. She didn't know what Glenn or Daryl were doing, but she soon felt Maggie next to her. She gently pulled her into her arms, much in the same fashion she had done that night in the woods after the fall of their farm. It was the first night they were there. They hadn't built a fire. They had just sat in the darkness, waiting for any sign to let them know that everything would be okay. This time, however, no sign could possibly tell them their fate. They both knew they were screwed.

"You should let me look at that," Maggie said as she gently took Beth's injured hand.

"I'm fine," she replied with a stern, yet shaky voice.

"You have a hole in your hand, Bethie."

"And daddy doesn't even have a leg anymore!" she shouted as she turned her face toward Maggie's. "I think I'm better off right now."

"Someone is on their way," informed Martinez as he moved to stand in front of the Greene sisters. Before he got too close, Daryl stepped in front of him. Even holding onto his wounded shoulder, Daryl still managed to pull off a rather intimidating stance.

"Why do you even care?" asked Glenn as he moved to sit next to Maggie. "You're the one that brought us here in the first place. One of our people is dead, and we don't even know who."

Martinez stared down at Glenn as he gently placed a comforting hand on Maggie's shoulder. She accepted his comfort, feeling oddly at ease knowing he was there by her side. She then leaned her head against his shoulder with Beth still in her arms. Even she knew when she needed to stop being strong for everyone else, and start letting someone be strong for her. She felt like Glenn would do that for her, which he didn't seem to have any trouble at all accepting. He pulled her close and tried not to disturb Beth as she silently sobbed into her sister's bosom.

"It was the black guy," began Martinez as he moved away from them piled in a corner. "T-dog, I believe was his name."

Glenn frowned at hearing T-Dog's name. He could feel Maggie's shoulders slump at the revelation as well. Beth was already crying, so the knew information on their comrade only made her cry harder. Daryl, on the other hand, just turned away and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," Martinez said softly as he hung his head.

"You're sorry?" snapped Daryl as he glanced over his shoulder at him. "Don't give us that bullshit. You brought us here. As far as I'm concerned, you're just as much ta blame as the fucker that did this to us."

"I ain't sayin' I'm a saint," snapped Martinez as he moved into Daryl's personal space, causing him to turn around in order to get up in his face in return. "All I'm sayin' is that I'm sorry. That's all I can say."

"You could help us," stated Maggie dryly as she turned her gaze upon them. "What's more important? Your friendship with a murderer or your integrity as a human being?"

Martinez turned his eyes on Maggie, giving Daryl ample time to shove him away. He had half a mind to punch him in the face, but his shoulder and ribs were killing him. He barely had enough strength to stand, let alone start a fist fight. Although, under any other circumstances, he'd probably go for it and never let anyone know he was in pain.

Silence fell as the door opened and a man in a white coat and sky blue scrubs entered the room. They all assumed it to be the doctor, so they all remained quiet. Maggie did manage to scoff at the fact Martinez turned his back to them, not even having the balls to give them an answer. His friendship with the Governor was apparently more valuable than his self worth as a person. It didn't really surprise her. She could tell that he was a coward. He was too afraid to say anything because he didn't want to be the next liability.

The young man that they brought in to help them wasn't very shocked to see what was there. He too was probably in the circle that knew all about the Governor's twisted idea of fun. Just like Martinez, he was too afraid to say anything about it. However, Maggie oddly didn't blame him. He looked like a weak fellow. At least Martinez looked like a man that could do something. Hell, he looked like a leader. If he really wanted to stand against the Governor, he could easily do so with a few words. After all, if the Governor could fool this so called town of Woodbury into believing he was a nice guy, then Martinez could surely fool them into believing he was a leader.

Daryl slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting a few feet from Glenn. He glanced over at them, gaining Glenn and Maggie's attention by loudly clearing his throat. "She okay?"

Maggie stared at him for a moment as he awkwardly shifted his gaze around the room. "You mean Beth?" she asked, earning a nod as a response. "I think she fell asleep. She's crazy like that."

"Tell me about," he uttered as he dropped his gaze onto Beth's sleeping form. His eyes slowly trailed down to the rag around her hand, and he instantly felt a pang in his chest. "Shoulda done more ta stop what happened..."

Maggie followed his eyes and released a sigh of frustration. "Nothin' you could have done. The more we protested, the more he did. At least she didn't let him win. She never showed her fear."

"Yeah," he replied as he averted eye contact from everyone. He couldn't help his mind from going over the whole scene. He tried to think of something he could have done differently so none of them were hurt. He even went so far as to back track to the estate. Maybe if he hadn't been so blinded by everyone else's false hope, he could have seen Brownfield for what it was. It wasn't at all like him to be interested in a normal life. Hell, not even before the turn was he ever interested in anything normal. All he ever did was whatever Merle wanted to do.

His head shot up as the name passed through his thoughts. "Merle," he uttered under his breath.

"What?" questioned Glenn as he turned his head toward him with confused eyes.

Daryl didn't answer, though. He pushed himself to his feet and shuffled over to Martinez. Without any warning, he roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him as far off the ground as his strength could manage right now. The doctor halted his ministrations, and the other gunmen pointed their weapons at him.

"What the fuck was your boss talkin' about?" he snapped much louder than he intended, and vaguely hoped he hadn't woke Beth. "How does he know my brother?" he added in a softer tone.

Instead of giving his usual act, Martinez threw his hands into the air. He gestured to the men to lower their guns before turning his full attention on Daryl. He didn't try to break away, knowing that Daryl wouldn't attempt to try and fight him anyway.

"He knows your brother because he's here, in Woodbury," he replied bluntly. There was no beating around the bush. He didn't see any point in keeping the truth from him, since Daryl and the rest of his people would be dead soon anyway. Unless by some crazy twist of fate, Maggie and Beth actually agreed to go with the Governor. Maybe even he'd manage to get that little girl to play with his crazy fantasies. He didn't understand why he had this sick obsession with these girls. Well, he could understand why he was attracted to Maggie. What he didn't understand was why he wanted to make her sister and that other girl his adoptive family, like they were some apocalyptic Jones'.

Daryl slowly released his grip on him and stepped away. "How long he been here?"

"A month. Maybe more. I don't really know, man," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "He don't know nothin' about this place, though. The Governor has certain people he trusts with certain things. The men you see here are the ones he trusts with the knowledge of this place," he explained with a gesture to the other men in the room. By that point, the doctor had resumed his work on Hershel. As soon as he finished him, he went to Daryl's side.

"I'm fine," he muttered sternly, pulling his arm away. "Go check on the girl first." He then gave a nod of his head toward Beth, still wrapped up in her sister's arms.

Martinez raised a brow as the doctor did as he said. As soon as the doctor touched Beth's hand, she jolted awake and squealed. Maggie quickly grabbed her shoulders and started uttering soothing words until she realized where she was. Martinez didn't hear anything they said. He just assumed Beth understood, because she handed her wounded hand to the good doctor after she had calmed down. After he was certain Beth was getting the attention she needed, Daryl turned his attention back to Martinez. He fully intended to find out everything he could about his brother and what he did for the Governor.

"What does Merle do here?" questioned Daryl with a bit of uncertainty in his voice. He always knew his brother was easily manipulated by the wrong crowd. Hell, he wasn't much of a good guy to begin with. However, he liked to think his brother would never agree to the intentional torture of innocent people.

"When we find big groups that have a lot of stuff, Merle goes to them and...kills them. After they've been taken care of, he takes their stuff and the Governor makes it look like a Biter attack," he said, straining to add the last few words.

"He basically does all the dirty work that the Governor doesn't wanna do. As for this place, it isn't really work. It's like television to him..." Martinez added with a gesture to the room around them.

"I suppose he enjoyed watching crime shows and skipping over everything but the murdering part," chimed Maggie bitterly. She was trying to make things seem less bleak, but not even a stupid joke that wasn't that funny made anyone see past the horrible situation they were in.

Daryl shook his head as he turned away from Martinez. He sat down on the floor with his back toward everyone. He was trying really hard to understand why the hell Merle was here. He didn't really doubt the fact he was doing bad things for this man. He was starting to wonder if maybe Merle would be gun ho on torturing people. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he quickly shook it out. For all his faults, Merle wasn't that kind of guy. He couldn't be that horrible.

Everything seemed to go still when a gurgling sound began to bubble up from Hershel's mouth. All eyes fell on the old man as their thoughts instantly went to the dark place it usually did. Was Hershel a Walker now? Daryl could swore he saw him breathing not too long ago, but that didn't mean anything now. The man had lost a lot of blood. As a matter of fact, fresh blood was seeping through the bandages the doctor had just put on his leg. He didn't know what the guy had done, but he knew he had closed it up as best he could. Especially given the fact they were in a torture chamber. With blood on the chairs, floors and walls, it was looking more and more like one every second.

Beth and Maggie both stared at his shaking form. The doctor moved away from Beth and toward Hershel, but Martinez quickly held him back. "Hold up, doc. You're the only doctor we got. Can't have you gettin' bit."

The man nodded and stared as he began to wither about. Not being able to watch her father like that, Beth got up and started to move toward him. She didn't get very far, though. Maggie quickly grabbed her hand and tried to hold her back.

"I don't want you to see him like that," she said, trying hard not to let her tears fall.

"He's not dead, Maggie," she snapped, trying hard not to shout anymore than she already had. "He looks like he's having a seizure. Maybe he can't breath..."

The doctor started to move again, but Martinez held him back. Beth wanted to shout at these people to get a freaking brain, but she was instantly pulled backwards and onto her ass. She grunted as she fell into Glenn's lap. She glanced up at Maggie as she walked past the stunned men and quickly sat next to their father.

"Daddy?" she whispered as she slowly rolled him over onto his side. As soon as he was on his side, his body began to calm. Maggie could instantly see that he was just having a bad dream, and that maybe her touch had managed to calm him.

"Maggie?" he uttered through his barely parted lips. She then realized that it had been her voice that brought him back. "Beth?" he added softly.

Beth didn't waste any time getting to her feet and rushing to her father's side. She bent down beside him and took his sweaty palm in her own. She didn't care that they were both covered in sweet and blood. She was pretty sure they were all covered in their own urine as well. They weren't permitted bathroom breaks very often, and the guards usually made them drink a lot of water. She wasn't sure if it was because their prison was as hot as an oven and they didn't want them dying of dehydration, or just because they enjoyed getting a little of their own torment by watching them piss themselves.

Hershel gently tighten his grasp on her hand, and she tried hard not to cry at the fact it was her injured hand. "My girls..." he uttered breathlessly as he opened his eyes and rolled onto his back with both Maggie and Beth's help. Maggie reached out and took his other hand as he stared up at them.

"You're alive," he coughed out. "And if I remember correctly, some crazy guy sawed my leg off."

Beth and Maggie glanced at each other, neither one being able to contain a small chuckle at their father's little joke. It was a rather dark joke, if it could even be considered one. However, Hershel just knew the right things to say to make them feel better. He even managed to make them feel better when he was the one in pain and agony.

Hershel managed a smile in return to them, gently squeezing their hands. "Is this where you've been all this time?"

Maggie slowly shook her head. "We found people. They saved us and took us with them to this estate, which turned out to be a trap. That's how we ended up here."

"Two of em' are here with us, daddy," chimed Beth as she glanced toward Glenn and Daryl. "The others are somewhere else..."

Hershel slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, much to Beth and Maggie's protests. He grunted as he managed to sit up. He took a glance at his leg and released a long sigh. Neither Beth nor Maggie could tell if it was a sigh of frustration or regret. It seemed almost as if he was sighing at a fond memory. After inspecting the work the doctor did, he glanced toward Daryl and Glenn. The both of them were standing now, having been ready for the worst for Hershel. They didn't have any weapons to take care of things if it all went South, but they still held their ground.

"Thank you," he said with a nod of his head before glancing between his girls. "Thank you and your other friends for taking in my girls."

"Daryl even saved Beth," added Maggie. "Now she follows him around like a lost puppy."

"I do not!" snapped Beth as a mischievous grin spread across Maggie's lips. Unknown to her, Daryl instantly averted eye contact and tried not to lash out at the minor quip at her sister's expense.

Hershel couldn't help but smile at the two of them, though. "I missed you both greatly. I even missed your constant bickering."

Glenn managed a smile as he watched the scene. "We're happy to have helped, sir. I just wish we hadn't brought them into this."

"That ain't our fault," muttered Daryl as he kept eye contact with the floor. Every now and then, he'd glance toward the Greene family. He kept feeling something in his chest whenever he did. Maybe it was happiness for Maggie and Beth being reunited with their father under such gruesome circumstances. Or maybe he was feeling a little embarrassed by Maggie's comment. It wasn't all that false. Beth had been rather clingy since that night, much to his dismay. At the same time, he didn't mind all that much. Maybe she was growing on him in a way. After all, he took a knife for her. He realized that he would probably let the Governor chop off his hand to protect her, and he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that realization.

The sound of Martinez clearing his throat brought them all back to reality. "Don't get too happy about your family reunion. The Governor will be back before you know it," he said before turning toward the door and grabbing a hold of the handle.

Before he left, he turned to the other men in the room and gave them instructions to keep their eyes on them at all times. Tying them back to their chairs was apparently not in the their thoughts anymore. Maybe they thought because they were all wounded, they would be easy to control. Daryl narrowed his eyes and thought how stupid they were to think a few flesh wounds would stop him. He'd feel good as new in an hour, and that's when he knew he'd make his move. However, all thoughts went out the window when Martinez opened the door and the butt of a riffle collided with his face, knocking him back onto the floor. Everyone's eyes widen in shock as Merle stepped in and turned his gun on the other men in the room.

"How 'bout ya'll drop those guns and kick yourselves in the ass for me?" he suggested with a wide grin.

The men stood there, completely dumbfounded. Merle rolled his eyes before gesturing to Daryl to help him out. It didn't take him long to get the point. Even Glenn was wise to what he was asking. As if the men had lost all ability to think, they willingly handed their guns over to their freaking prisoners.

"Guess Merle's more scary than I remembered," uttered Glenn as he and Daryl backed away and aimed their guns at the other men.

Merle kept that grin on his lips as he moved forward and knocked each one of them out, their bodies falling to the ground with a satisfying thud. Daryl and Glenn lowered their weapons while Maggie, Beth and Hershel stared at them with wide eyes and confusion. Merle turned toward the doctor next, causing the man to instinctively fall to his knees and start begging for mercy.

"Calm your titties, doc," he quipped as he walked over and pulled him to his feet. "I gotta thank you for leading me here. Woulda never known if I hadn't been so damn curious in followin' ya."

"Merle," began Daryl, causing him to turn his head in his direction.

"Darylina," he replied with a half smirk. "Don't you worry your pretty little head. Big bro is here to save the day."

* * *

It looks like not all is lost for our little merry band. Let me tell you just how much I love Merle. I think he's kind of like an anti-hero. He saved the prison in the show, but only because he wanted to save Daryl. He didn't give a rat's ass about anyone else. But in the end, he still saved everyone. Maybe his intentions weren't the best, but I'll always think of him as a hero. And next chapter you'll get to see why he followed the doctor in the first place. You'll also get to see whether or not he'll help save everyone else, or if he'll leave them to pay the piper like they did him. At least we can all be happy that Hershel's alive. Did I scare any of you there for a second? Did you think I was going to go back on my word in the last chapter and kill him unsuspectingly? I told you I'm not _that_ evil!


	13. The Escape

The groans of the lone Walker slowly moving toward the gates of Woodbury, were neither concerning nor alarming. It soon dropped dead to the ground, a single arrow now protruding from the front of its head. Merle stared down at it from where he stood on top of the wall. His gaze traveled over to the man at his side. Everyone called him Bowman and nothing more. He hardly spoke out of term. As a matter of fact, he rarely ever spoke at all. He usually only talked when spoken to. Merle never really had a reason to speak to him, but the crossbow he held in his hands looked awfully familiar.

"Bowman," he stated as he backed away from the wall and pointed his hand-blade toward the crossbow in question. His new hand was one of the few things he found himself grateful for once arriving in Woodbury. The Governor gave him back his hand in the most practical way. It was a bitch to try and maneuver with in every day life, but it was a welcomed addition in battle.

"Bowman, tell ole Merle where ya got that crossbow from?" he asked as he rubbed his chin with his good hand.

Bowman glanced down at his weapon. He gave a shrug of his shoulders before replying, "don't know. Governor gave it to me the other day."

"I see," he added calmly. "I was just wonderin'. You see, my brother has himself somethin' that looks like that. I saw it and startin' wonderin', that maybe there's somethin' you know that I don't."

Bowman brought his gaze back to Merle. He didn't seem to look intimidated, but Merle could smell fear a mile away. "There's a lot of things you don't know, Merle."

"What is that s'pose to mean!?" he shouted back at him as he pressed the blade attached to his hand against Bowman's throat. This time, however, the man flinched. Merle could instantly see the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of him. Merle didn't blame him. Actually, he was glad the man wasn't a dumb ass. He should be afraid of him. Up until now, he'd been keeping his unsavory attitude in check. Taking kindly to people like Bowman was never one of his strong suits. But now that he knew he was hiding something, he intended to let all his prejudice show full force.

Bowman quickly dropped the crossbow to his feet and held his hands up in surrender. "Why don't you ask Martinez. He's in on all the Governor's dirty secrets."

Merle didn't move away, though. He held the knife firmly against his throat, pondering his words. He didn't say anything else as he pressed the knife a little harder into the tender flesh of his throat, creating a small cut and drawing blood. After an agonizingly long silence, Merle backed away and Bowman placed a hand around his throat to wipe away the blood.

"I think I'll pay our pal Martinez a visit then," he said as he wiped his blade against the side of his leg, smearing a little bit of blood on his already dirty pants. Without another word, he turned and resumed his position against the wall. He planned to wait out the rest of his shift, but his attention was instantly drawn to the site of the doctor driving a jeep up to the gates and giving the signal to leave town. Bowman was the one to open the gate, giving Merle plenty of time to snatch up the crossbow and make his way down to the solid ground below.

Something wasn't quite right. Merle knew how to do shady business. He spent his whole life doing shady things. He had developed a bit of a sixth sense when it came to sensing things weren't normal. He couldn't put his finger on it, but everything about today just didn't sit well with him. First that old man came in and set the Governor a bit on edge, only to disappear like he had the other day. He had been gone for quite some time before Martinez showed up and dragged Hershel off and out of town. He had claimed he was taking him to help look for his daughters, but neither one had returned for hours now. It wasn't too long after he left that the Governor reappeared, slightly disheveled. He was still as charming as ever, but a little on edge. Now the good doctor was taking his leave, and Merle wasn't sure what to put together with that. All he knew was that Hershel was missing and Bowman had Daryl's bow. Daryl was here somewhere. He just knew it had to be true. And if he had to break a few rules, and maybe a few limbs, to find out the truth, then so be it.

After the doctor drove out the gate, Merle made to slip out after him. Bowman stared him down, sparing a brief glance at the crossbow in his hands. "You won't like what you find."

"I rarely ever do," he replied as he pulled the strap of the crossbow over his shoulder, and quickly followed the jeep out of town. He hadn't had much time to really track the way he use to, but tracking wasn't really his greatest trait anyway. That had always been Daryl's thing, and he sometimes wished he were here to help him whenever he found himself a little lost.

This time, however, he managed to stay close on the doctor's tail. He vaguely wondered if he was letting him follow him, but he never really showed any sign that he knew he was being followed. Merle started to feel a tinge of regret for doing so. As soon as he followed him out of the town a few miles and straight to a dissolute building, he felt an uneasy feeling deep in his stomach. There were a few men outside the building. It was just a concrete storage unit. There was only one iron door to enter the building, and no windows to shed any light inside.

As Merle glanced around, he wondered how the hell he had never came across this building on his own before. It wasn't too far away from Woodbury. He wasn't sure if that fact was more unsettling than the fact that it was guarded. Either way, there was definitely something inside that the Governor didn't want anyone to see. He didn't want him to see it. Or maybe he just didn't want whatever it was getting out. Maybe it had something to do with Milton's strange experiments. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised at what weird shit the Governor partakes in behind the scenes. After all, it was the same man that collected Walkers and kept them in an iron cage behind his house. Most of them were for the street fights the town had every once and a while, but sometimes he wondered if they were used for other things...

After making a quick assessment of the building, he made his way over to the front door and was instantly greeted by guns in his face. He held up his hands in surrender, and gave a little whistle as he moved his eyes over the building from top to bottom.

"Down boys," he began, swatting one gun with his blade. "Gov'nor sent me ta have a look-see. Says he has a surprise in there for me."

The two guards followed his gesture to the door before glancing toward each other. "We were told that you weren't suppose to know nothin' about this place."

"Does it look like I know nothin'?" he questioned with narrowed eyes. "Best move aside before I have a talk with the boss about your insubordination."

Merle couldn't keep the grin from his lips when they exchanged another look, this time with horror. They moved aside, lowering their guns as they went. He walked past them and opened the iron door with a loud creek. He turned his head to glance over his shoulder, making sure both men weren't looking. He rose up the crossbow in his hands, and then bashed them both over the head with the end of the crossbow. He made sure to do it fast, so neither one had time to react to his assault. Once he was certain they were both out, he grabbed a rifle that one of them had. He then turned and quietly made his way into the long hallway that stood beyond the door. The inside was definitely much larger than the outside led him to believe. There was only one hallway, but it broke off into four different rooms. The hall was lit with fluorescent lights. It was the kind you'd find lighting up the halls of a school, only Merle was certain no one was learning anything about Math in any of these rooms.

As he slowly made his way to the end of the hall, he could hear deafening silence behind every last metal door. Or at least that's what he heard until he came to the very last one. He could clearly hear the sound of voices he didn't recognize, shortly followed by a familiar voice he hadn't heard in so long.

"That ain't our fault," muttered the distinctive drawl that Merle knew belonged to none other than his baby brother. It was hard for him to mask that accent he carried so well. Each word he spoke sounded like a promise or threat. He had taught Daryl well. The man knew how to sound aggressive without using any aggressive words.

There was a sound of someone clearing their throat, most likely trying to get their attention without actually telling them to shut up.

"Don't get too happy about your family reunion," stated the familiar voice of Martinez. Of course Martinez knew about this place. It made Merle's blood boil as he continued speaking to the room. "The Governor will be back before you know it."

The next thing he knew, Martinez was giving orders to people that weren't being held against their will. Or at least that's what Merle assumed, since he was telling them to keep an eye on Daryl and the others. In that moment, when he saw the door begin to open, Merle made a decision. He dropped Daryl's crossbow against the wall, then readied the rifle to collide directly with Martinez's face once he was in front of him. The butt of the gun hit precisely where he wanted, causing Martinez to stumble backwards and immediately fall unconscious once his head hit the hard ground. Merle stepped inside and turned his gun to the other men in the room.

"How 'bout ya'll drop those guns and kick yourselves in the ass for me?" he suggested with a wide grin.

The look of confusion on their faces only made Merle want to laugh. He decided to roll his eyes instead, feeling a little embarrassed knowing these men were working for the same guy he was. He turned his attention to Daryl, and gave him a gesture with his head toward the men he was holding at gunpoint. Daryl didn't take long to get what he was trying to say. It had been a while since they were together, but Merle and him were brothers. Despite their differences, they had a connection that most siblings do. They could always communicate with gestures and eye contact, which is why most of the time they rarely spoke their feelings with each other. Just looking at Daryl now, Merle could tell he was extremely relieved to see him.

After Daryl and Glenn retrieved the weapons from their former captors, Merle knocked them out in the same fashion he had Martinez. He swore he heard Glenn mutter something to Daryl, and he vaguely wondered when Daryl had gotten close to these people that had so happily left him to die. His attention was drawn to the doctor, though. After the guards were out cold, the man fell to his knees and began begging for his life.

"Calm your titties, doc," he said as he walked over and pulled him to his feet. "I gotta thank ya for leadin' me here. Woulda never known if I hadn't been so damn curious in followin' ya."

"Merle," chimed Daryl, causing Merle to turn his head in his direction.

"Darylina," he began with a half grin. "Don't you worry your pretty little head. Big bro is here to save the day."

"I see that," he said as he lowered his weapon.

Merle didn't have to ask to know Daryl wanted to know what had happened to him. He didn't waste any time in telling him, along with the other people in the room, everything that had happened to him. Since they were short on time, he made it a quick story. He told him that he had managed to saw his hand off and escape the rooftop in time, which Daryl interrupted to tell him that T-Dog was no longer with them. He decided not to comment on T-Dog's demise, and instead thanked them for the car they had left. It had only gotten him so far before he passed out on the side of the road. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a clean little room with the doctor hovering over him.

"My name is Chris, by the way," he said as he slowly backed away. "I hope you don't hold it against me for knowing about all of this. The Governor-"

"Is a crazy fucker that probably threaten you," remarked Merle as he twirled his blade in the air. "Don't matter no more. You're comin' with us."

"Wh-what?" he stuttered out as Merle walked out the door and picked up something leaning against the wall. He turned toward Daryl and handed the crossbow out to him.

"Thought you'd like this back."

Daryl almost felt like hugging him when he handed him his crossbow. At the very least, he gave him a side grin. "Thanks. Been missin' this thing."

"Excuse me," chimed Maggie as she stood to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. "Who the hell is he and how the hell can we trust him?"

Merle turned his attention to her and eyed her up and down. "Damn," he uttered before letting out a long whistle. "Who the hell is this?"

"Maggie Greene," she stated in her no-nonsense voice. "Best be thankful I don't have a knife. Better pray I don't the next time you eye me like that."

"Maggie," called Hershel as he pulled himself into an upright position. Beth quickly stood to her feet and tried her best to help him up as well. "Well, looks like you found your brother after all," he said once he was staring Merle head on.

"Mhm," Merle replied, his eyes full of something Daryl had never really seen before. If he had to put a name to it, he would say he was showing respect.

"Looks like ya found your daughters," he said as his eyes roamed over the state he was in. "Well, part of ya found em'."

Maggie moved to stand in front of Hershel, blocking Merle's gaze. "Then you're here to help us? Didn't know Daryl had a brother."

"Lot ya don't know about me," snapped Daryl as he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and walked out into the hallway. He quickly squinted his eyes as he glanced toward the exit at the other end. He blinked a few times to adjust his vision to the new brightness, then he brought his gaze upon the other doors in the hall.

"Glenn, you check the room across the hall. Should be where Carol and Sophia are. I'll check the one next door," Daryl instructed as he turned to face the darkened room. He didn't dare stare for too long, not wanting to deal with readjusting his eyes again.

Glenn gave a nod before moving out into the hall. He too went through the same adjustment before Maggie, Beth and Hershel followed him into the hall. As they tried to adjust their eyes, Merle and the doctor came out into the lit hallway to join them. Merle grabbed Daryl by his upper arm, and roughly pulled him toward him.

"What the hell ya doin'?" he snapped in a quiet tone, not wanting to draw any attention that might be lurking. "We barely had time to talk. We don't got time to play hero to every damn lost soul."

Daryl narrowed his eyes and pulled his arm away. "I ain't leavin' the rest of the group behind."

"Ya mean Officer Friendly?" he spat as he got into Daryl's personal space, his face barely inches away. "Ya willin' to risk all these people for that garbage?"

"Rick ain't garbage. He's a good guy with a kid," he replied rather calmly. He was grinding his teeth together, trying hard not to lose it. "He went back for ya. We went back for ya," he added with a gesture to Glenn and himself. "T-Dog went too."

"That's real pretty. Still don't excuse the fact he left me there to die!" he hissed bitterly.

"Boys, we don't got time for this," interjected Hershel as he pulled away from Beth's grip and wobbled in between them. "I don't know what you all been through, but I do know Daryl protected my girls. I'm thankful for that. I also know Merle was fairly kind to me during the few minutes I was in Woodbury," he said as he put a hand on each brother's chest and pushed them away from each other.

"That's all I need to know. And if there's other people here gettin' the same treatment as me, then I'm gonna save em'; whether there's time for it or not."

Both Merle and Daryl held eye contact with Hershel. He sternly stared them down until they both looked away. After he was satisfied that they got his point, he moved back and almost fell over. Beth quickly grabbed his arm and held him upright.

"You really shouldn't overexert yourself, daddy. Save it for when we're runnin'," she said softly as Maggie came to his other side and took his hand.

Daryl watched as Glenn pushed open the door and quickly went inside to untie a bewildered Carol, Sophia and Dale. The three of them didn't hesitate to join them in the hallway, leaving a bitter taste in Daryl's mouth at the absence of T-Dog. He shook his head and decided not to focus on the horrible part of their situation. He turned to the other closed door and took a hold of the handle. He took a deep breath before pulling it open, being greeted with fearful eyes. When Rick realized who it was, Daryl swore he saw a tear fall from his eye.

"Daryl?" he stated hoarsely, probably not being given anything for his parched mouth that day. "Is it really you?"

Daryl quickly moved behind him and began untying his wrists and ankles, while Glenn came to do the same for the others. "Yeah. It's me, man."

"Maybe someone up there is still listenin' after all," chimed Lori once Glenn freed her from her restraints. She gently rubbed her wrists before going to Carl and untying him, while Glenn got to work on Andrea's tied limbs.

Rick stood to his feet and stared past Daryl's broad shoulders. His eyes locked upon Merle in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame as if he just belonged there. A frown tugged at his lips at the sight of him. He wasn't sure whether to be angry or happy.

"Merle helped save us," Glenn stated pointedly.

"Then I'm grateful," Rick said, his eyes never once dropping from Merle's.

"Don't be. I wanted ta leave ya," he replied without any remorse in his tone. With a shrug, he turned and walked back into the hall. A long sigh of annoyance escaped his lips as everyone started to scramble together. He scratched his chin in thought, wondering just how they were getting out of here. There were only a few guns and too many people to wield them.

"How many of ya can shoot?" he asked as he held up the guns he had required from Martinez and the three men in Daryl's cell.

While they debated over who got to hold which gun, Beth turned her attention to the remaining room in the hall. It was the room that was directly next door to Carol, Sophia and Dale's. She was only a few inches away from the door. A strange sound was emitting from inside. It was faint, but loud enough for her ears to latch onto. Maggie was holding their father firmly now, and everyone's attention was drawn to the guns and the fact Merle was trying to start another argument over Rick. She didn't care to be apart of their issues, so she slowly moved over to the remaining door and pulled it back a few inches. She peeked inside through the small crack, and what she saw instantly made her stumble backwards into the opposite wall from the room. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't find the strength in her to release anything more than a loud whimper.

Maggie instantly turned her attention on her. Everyone else soon followed once she began whimpering a bit louder. The sound inside the room began to get more prominent with the door now open a smidgen.

"What did you do?" barked Maggie as she quickly moved to stand in front of her sister. She gently grabbed her by her shoulders, but all Beth could do was point at the door with her index finger.

Merle released a groan before moving to grab the door by the edge. "We ain't got time to be scared of dead people," he snapped as he opened the door completely. However, his eyes widen once he took in the sight of a man hanging from the roof with only half a body. The man wasn't dead, though. The poor bastard was hanging on by some strand of life, while his insides hung loosely below him.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," remarked Glenn after he peeked over Merle's shoulder at the sight. He quickly turned to Maggie and Beth, and tried not to puke as Maggie leaned her head against his shoulder.

"We gotta get the fuck outta here," stated Andrea as she cocked her rifle and moved past everyone.

"Wait!" came a voice from inside the dark room, instantly making Andrea halt halfway down the hall.

As soon as Andrea turned around, Merle backed out of the doorway as three beaten bodies emerged from the room. The first to came out was a rather muscular black man, his clothes torn and blood matted in his beard and hair. Behind him were two young women. They both looked about as beaten and bloody as him, but one was black and other white.

"Wait," repeated the white woman as she came to the man's side and clasped his arm. "Take us with you. Please."

"Ya'll don't know how long we been here," added the man as he leaned against the door frame. "That guy hangin' from the ceiling, his name is Allen. He was our friend. Now he's just a reminder of what will happen to us soon if we don't get the hell outta here."

Merle shrugged his shoulders before moving to Andrea's side. "Just try not to fall behind. Once we get outta here, we run. We don't stop. We don't look back."

Merle didn't look back to see if they understood. He didn't have to make sure they understood. He didn't really care if they got it. All he cared about was getting the hell out of there before shit got worse. He cared about making sure Daryl was okay. That's the only person he cared about surviving. He'd been looking for him for ages now, and he wasn't about to make the same mistakes he had before.

He took a deep breath before running toward the exit and pushing open the door. He wasn't sure what he was expecting once he got everyone out of their prisons and into the outside world. He sure as hell wasn't expecting an onslaught of gunfire from on top of the roof, and from within the trees. He should have known there were men stationed on the roof and keeping watch. They had probably called the Governor and informed him about his little act of treason. That meant he couldn't go back now. He really didn't plan on it anyway. The moment he saw what was behind door number one when he walked into that building, was the moment he knew he couldn't return to Woodbury. He didn't know how he'd live with Rick and his people. He hoped he could somehow convince Daryl that they should leave them on their own, and go off like they had planned back at that camp outside Atlanta.

All thought left his brain as he ran. None of them were really thinking about anything other than getting away. The ones that had weapons fired back. They had decided upon Andrea, Rick, Glenn and Maggie to have a gun. There was an extra one still lying outside with one of unconscious guards, so Carol quickly grabbed it when they went by. She didn't really know how to shoot, but she managed to hit a few guys as she ran past. She didn't care if she killed them, even if they deserved every bullet in the brain they got. She was focused on keeping Sophia behind her throughout the whole run.

Merle kept to the front of the group, leading them toward the opposite edge of the woods and away from the oncoming gunfire. Everyone was keeping up fine, except for Carl. He started to lag behind a bit, so Beth quickly grabbed his hand and tried to pull him along faster. Running was something she was rather good at. Dodging bullets, on the other hand, wasn't something she was use to doing. She only managed to dodge out of the way at the last minute, taking Carl to the ground with her as a bullet grazed her arm.

"Carl!" shouted Lori as she came to a halt and stared back at the duo.

She hadn't been too far behind the rest of the group, keeping a watchful eye on Beth and Carl. Once she saw them go down, she began running back toward them. As soon as she was standing in front of them, a bullet pierced through the front of her forehead. She was dead instantly, falling to the ground face first in front of Carl and Beth.

"Mom!" shouted Carl, tears springing from his eyes as he scrambled from Beth's grip and over to Lori's lifeless body.

"Carl," Beth said with a shaky voice, quickly grabbing him by his forearm and pulling him back into her arms. "We gotta go. We gotta get back to the others."

"They're so far ahead now," he replied, his eyes never leaving the body of his mother.

Beth glanced in the direction of their fleeing group, Rick and Maggie being the only ones to have stopped and look back. It wasn't until that moment that Beth noticed the gunfire had stopped on both sides. Rick stared at the form of his wife, dead on the ground, from the long distance he was at.

"Lori!" screamed Rick as he stepped forward, but was instantly restrained by Maggie once he attempted to rush toward her.

"We gotta go, Rick," she said quickly. Her eyes never strayed from the sight of Beth and Carl, sitting only inches away from Lori's body. "It's the Governor. He's too close."

Beth watched helplessly as Maggie dragged Rick away and into the woods. She didn't understand why they didn't run back for them, until the sound of someone chuckling softly drew her attention away from the distant treeline.

"I want someone to get a group together and go find them. Kill them all," instructed the calm voice of the Governor.

"What about the kids, sir?" asked a voice Beth didn't know. She didn't really care who it belonged to either.

Beth drew her eyes upward and locked them with the eyes of the man that had just murdered Lori. His gun was still in his hands, and a grin was on his lips as he stared down at his handiwork. She narrowed her eyes as he reached down and roughly grabbed her and Carl by their wrists. They both struggled to get free, Carl even managing to nail him in the gut. After he released the boy, another man quickly restrained him by wrapping his arms around his midriff and holding him tightly.

"Take em' to my place," he began as he pulled Beth tightly against him. "I've got special plans for these two," he added with his mouth inches away from her ear, his warm breath sending disgust through her veins.

With another menacing chuckle, the Governor tossed Beth to another one of his men. He placed his gun away before turning and heading into the building Beth and Carl had called their prison for so many days now. Neither one really knew how long they'd been there, and now neither one were really free. They had left their dark confines, only to be taken to a much sinister place.

They were tied up once again, and loaded into the back of a jeep. The two men that had manhandled them, then drove them into the town the Governor had spoke of a few times before. The happy appearance didn't mask it for what it was soon to become for them both...

* * *

I hope you guys like this chapter. I know it's still not in a happy place and they left two behind, but at least they aren't in that building anymore. As for the people that they found in that other room, I was going for Tyreese, Karen and Sasha. I'm sure most people are probably thinking that the other black girl is Michonne, but I'm afraid she's not in this story. Anyway, I hope my action scene there was suspenseful. I felt like I was rushing it a bit. I hope Lori's death wasn't random either. I've had it planned for a while that Lori and T-Dog were gonna die. I even had Lori's death planned in my head, like the who and the when. I knew it had to be at this moment when they were escaping, to show just how much they're still giving up to try and be free. Beth and Carl getting left behind has been planned for a while too, just not as long as Lori's death. At first I was thinking of getting everyone out with Beth only getting injured and Lori saving her life, but then I came up with a much more interesting idea! Don't worry too much about said idea. I'm not going to have the Governor try anything sexual. As you can see, he only wanted Maggie for that. He saw Sophia and Beth as little girls that he wanted to take care of. I think you all will enjoy what will happen with the Governor and Beth. You'll have to wait until chapter 15 to find out, though. The next chapter is going to be about the rest of the group as they try and figure out a plan, among dealing with emotions after watching Lori die. Expect a lot of Rick angst in the next chapter! By the way, congratulations to TWD Withdrawl for guessing Lori was going to be one of the people I kill off.


	14. The Sorrowful Father

The groaning corpse stumbled through the forest terrain, tripping over roots and running into low branches. The only salvation for its damned life was the arrow that flew through the air and pierced directly in the middle of its forehead. Daryl didn't waste any time in running over to the dead man and retrieving his arrow from its head.

"This place is crawling with Walkers now," muttered Andrea as she smashed the end of her rifle into a Walker attempting to grab at her. It fell into a tree as soon as she hit it. She quickly smashed it again, causing its brain and other fleshy bits to ooze out onto the tree and her gun.

"That's what happens when guns are firing like crazy," replied Dale as he leaned up against a near by tree to catch his breath.

Daryl turned to face the group. Everyone was just now starting to catch up, and he couldn't help but think about how they should all stay close now that they were out in the open with little to no weapons or supplies. He didn't think too long on that, though. His eyes fell to the rear of the group as Maggie came trudging up with a distraught Rick in tow. He couldn't help but glance over all the faces before him, taking in that Hershel had even managed to make it out. He didn't know who had helped him run, given the fact Maggie was pulling Rick along and Beth was nowhere in sight.

As soon as that thought passed his mind, he started looking around the area frantically. He couldn't help but notice that Carl and Lori were also missing, and that's when the memory had struck him. He had tried not to think about everything going on around him as they ran away from that death trap. He was far ahead of the group, but even he had heard Rick's distinct voice calling out to Lori. His heart began to race as he realized that Lori was most likely dead. However, that wasn't all that was making his mind go overboard. He was thinking of Beth and Carl, and whether or not they had shared Lori's fate too.

"Maggie?" questioned Hershel as he wobbled to her side. As soon as he was close to her, she broke down into tears and threw her arms around his waist. In all the time Daryl had known her, he had never seen her shed a single tear. Sure, her eyes watered up a bit, but she she never once released them.

"She's gone, daddy!" she wailed into his chest. "Bethie was right there, and then she was gone."

Hershel gently pat her back to soothe her. "Shh, it's okay. We'll go back and-"

"We can't," Maggie said quickly as she pulled herself away. Her eyes were already red and puffy from the tears that kept falling from her eyes. "The Governor took her and Carl. He...he..." she stuttered as she tried to add what had happened to Lori, but she just couldn't form any words through her sobs.

"He shot Lori," stated Rick solemnly, his eyes planted firmly on the top of the trees above them.

"Oh no," gasped Carol as she pulled Sophia tightly against her. Sophia hadn't been making much noise, other than the occasional pant or sob for her friends that had been left behind.

"As fuckin' sad as all that is," began Merle as a Walker shuffled up behind him. He swiftly shoved the blade on his hand through its jaw and up into its head. "We gotta get movin' now. I don't really care if you people join me or not. I just wanna get as far away from Woodbury as possible."

"What is Woodbury?" questioned Andrea as she moved to stand in his personal space, which was rather unnerving to the older Dixon. "The Governor kept mentioning this place."

"Woodbury is a suburban nightmare in the middle of the end of the world," he said as he pulled his blade out of the dead Walker attached to the end. He then put his good hand on Andrea's shoulder and pushed her back a few inches from him. "It's full of dumb asses that think the Gov'nor is the second comin'."

Andrea narrowed her eyes and slapped his hand away from her shoulder, earning a grin in return from Merle. He probably thought he just gotten to second base. He shook his head at her before turning to face Daryl, who was trying to keep out of the entire conversation. His mind was on the news about Carl and Beth. He wouldn't admit out loud that he was concerned, especially not in front of his brother. He just couldn't stop wondering if they were okay. He knew Carl didn't have many injures. He had looked a little exhausted, but other than that he seemed okay. Beth, on the other hand, literally only had one hand to work with. He'd be lying if he said he was equally concerned for them both.

"Darylina!" chimed Merle. "Been callin' your name for a whole minute there," he added as he put a hand on Daryl's head and ruffled his hair.

Daryl released a grunt of annoyance before swatting him away. "Whataya want?" he barked brashly.

"Grab your shit and let's hit the road. These people give me a headache," he muttered with a gesture to everyone behind him

With her tears subsiding, Maggie narrowed her eyes at Merle before moving into his space; much in the same way Andrea had just done a moment ago. "Good riddance then. You ain't gonna help, then we ain't gonna care if you get eaten by the dead!"

"Sure as hell ain't goin' back to Woodbury," he spat in her face, causing her to flinch. "Besides, I don't get along well with these people. Sorry he lost his wife and kid, and you lost your sister, but it ain't my problem."

"If you're really sorry, you'd want to help," she retorted, using both hands to push him away as hard as she could.

"Get off my case, woman," he snapped back, keeping his balance steady despite the fact she pushed pretty hard.

"Would ya shut up," barked Daryl as he stepped between Maggie and Merle.

Walkers were starting to surround them even more now, being drawn by the noise of their argument. Daryl quickly took action in deposing of the few that were far too close to the group. Even Carol and the three people they'd met back at the building helped get rid of a few stray Walkers. The majority of them were still heading toward the building they escaped from. Daryl nodded at the three of them, and they replied by giving their names. No one else bothered to give their name out, since the group was far too large for Tyreese, Sasha and Karen to remember. Carol and Daryl, however, offered their names to the newcomers before he turned his attention back to the steaming Merle and Maggie.

To her credit, Maggie was pretty damn good at holding her own against his brother. Hell, Daryl sometimes found it hard to stand up to Merle. Not because he was weak, but because he just found it easier to say yes than to continue talking to a wall. Merle was stubborn beyond belief. He'd argue about a rock moving if he was high enough to think it did. He wouldn't back down, not even after he got sober enough to realize damn rocks don't move.

"C'mon," Daryl said as he walked between them and started off into the woods.

"You talkin' to all of us or just Merle?" asked Maggie as she crossed her arms and stared him down.

Daryl stopped a few inches away, and turned his head to glance toward her over his shoulder. "What's that s'pose to mean?"

"It means that I thought you cared about Beth," she said with less annoyance and more emotion, a hint of softness to her words. "I ain't an idiot, Daryl. I saw the way you tried to protect her back in that room. I could have done the same thing-"

"Why didn't ya then?" he asked quickly, interrupting her before she could finish. Truth be told, he was a little afraid of what she was going to say next. He had no idea he was being so damn transparent. Of course he cared about her. They were trapped in a concrete cage together, getting mutilated and pissing their pants. Couldn't get much closer than that. However, Daryl just wasn't sure yet what he considered Beth to be to him. He didn't want to talk about it until he knew what the hell to even call the weird feelings she gave to him every time she smiled.

"I would have," she replied softly. "Until I met you guys, I did everything to keep her safe. I let my guard down, and now she's gone," she began with a shaky tone, but it began cracking with every word. "She's gone because she tried to play the damn hero for once."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with that," remarked Hershel as he took a hold of Maggie's shoulder.

Maggie slowly hung her head and tried not to cry again. Daryl managed to let his own expression soften, understanding that Maggie was just being a big sister. He glanced over to Merle and wondered if maybe his attitude was his way of showing concern for him. He didn't want to think that Merle would cry over him if something like this were to happen to him. He was lucky to even get a single thought in his brother's head.

Merle turned his gaze away from Hershel and Maggie and toward Daryl. It felt as if he were reading his mind, because Merle just stared at him with a look Daryl wasn't sure he had ever seen from Merle before.

"We need to find shelter," stated Rick, drawing everyone's attention in his direction. It was the first time he'd spoken throughout the whole conversation.

"Do you all hear them?" he asked as he turned his expressionless eyes upon them. Everyone instantly went quiet and listened to the sounds around them. In the distance, the sound of men searching for them rung through the air. Some members of their group bore looks of horror and concern. Rick, on the other hand, just held that same expressionless look as he moved past them all and stood at the front of the group.

"I get we're all beaten and hurt. I watched my wife die before my very eyes, and I got no idea what those sick bastards are doin' to my boy," he stated as he turned to face them. "But, there ain't no time to think about that now. Dry off your tears and get ready ta fight. We gotta take a stand, here and now. We won't be safe until we kill every last man that works for the Governor!"

An overwhelming silence continued among the group, but Rick could see in every face he looked at that they were ready. Rick had been silently listening to everyone as they spoke, mostly tuning them all out. His mind was on the sight of his wife. He hated that he left her behind like that. He hated it even more to leave Carl behind. He knew Maggie was just as upset about leaving Beth, but he had blamed her for a moment for not letting him go back. As she yelled at Merle, his mind focused solely on his hatred for her. It was a disturbing moment, even though it had been a short one. As soon as they reached their group and Maggie broke down in her father's arms, he started pondering how much he wished it had been Maggie that was left behind.

After a while, his thoughts began to scare him. Never in his life did he ever think of someone that way. He knew it wasn't Maggie that had shot Lori. He knew it wasn't Maggie that had taken Carl and Beth hostage once more. However, it was just so easy to put the blame on her. She was there when it happened, and she had pulled him away before he could do anything. His mind went through a very strange process. He went from hateful thoughts, to guilt for hating Maggie. He finally ended up at the conclusion that they couldn't stand around in the woods forever, yelling at each other for who was to blame. Once he heard those distant voices cursing the Governor's name, he knew he had to take action. He couldn't wallow in self pity or mourn Lori's death right now. There was a whole group of people behind him in desperate need of a leader. He had led them before, and he intended to lead them again. That was what he was good at, and that was what Lori would expect him to do.

Once everyone's attention was on him, he began instructing the weaker members of the group to hide in the bushes. Carol, Sophia, Chris, Hershel and Dale all scurried off to the bushes at his command. Rick had seen Carol shooting before, so he let her keep the gun she had found on their run. He made sure that she understood only to use it if it was absolutely necessary. Once they were safely hidden, he gathered everyone else together and started making do with what they had. Daryl had his crossbow, of course. Andrea, Merle, Maggie, Glenn and himself still had their guns from the men they had knocked out. All that remained were the newcomers.

"Don't worry about us," stated the one named Tyreese. "I can fight pretty good with my fists. Ya'll beat them fuckers with your guns, and I'll punch em' out if they get too close."

"Alright then," replied Rick before turning to his female companions.

Sasha and Karen exchanged a smile with each other before Karen broke off a branch hanging low on a tree. She then broke another off from a different tree, and showed him the pointy ends.

"I think it's sharp enough, don't you?" questioned Sasha with a quirky smile.

"It'll do," said Rick with a nod of his head. He tried his best to smile back at the woman, but all he could manage was a weak turn of one side of his mouth for a split second.

Suddenly, a hand was on his shoulder. Rick whipped his head to the side and came face to face with a stern looking Daryl. "Man, I won't pretend like I get the Lori thing, but I get the Carl thing," he said with an awkward shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah. I know," he replied with another weak smile. He could see what Daryl was getting at, even though it was extremely hard for him to try and express. Rick wondered what had happened with him, Beth, Maggie and Glenn in their cell. It had obviously been something that left an impression on Maggie. Her words were still running through his mind, and he wondered just how deep Daryl felt for the younger Greene girl.

The sound of Merle clearing his throat brought Rick's attention to the armed and waiting group. Everyone was ready and waiting for his command, which was a feeling he had sorely missed. He hadn't really gotten the chance to explore being leader for long. After everything these people just went through, he didn't feel guilty about sending them into battle anymore. They weren't just civilians. These people were survivors. They survived the Governor's torment for the last few days, and he knew they could fight.

With a wave of his hand, he instructed everyone to hide in the trees above. These men definitely wouldn't be expecting an aerial assault. Once those that could get high were in place, he told the ones on the ground to hide in the bushes. Most everyone climbed into a branch that was high enough where they wouldn't been spotted, but low enough to where they wouldn't break every bone in their body if they jumped from it. Tyreese, Sasha, Merle and Karen opted to stay on the ground and hide in the bushes. Both Rick and Daryl knew it was a huge leap for Merle to take orders from Rick, but he was apparently very good at listening to other people these days. He had been listening to the Governor all this time, doing his bidding. Rick didn't exactly know what that was yet, but he could tell from Daryl's tense nature around him, that it probably wasn't something very good.

It wasn't very long before six men were stumbling into sight. Rick was instantly happy to see the numbers weren't very great. He had expected the Governor to send more than that, but maybe he assumed they'd have split up into easier to manage numbers. He had no idea that they would stick together in a big group. It was so much easier to just stay that way, especially with all the dead walking around them now. As a matter of fact, a few stumbled toward their enemy and distracted them momentarily. Rick knew this would be the best chance as any.

"Now!" he shouted before leaping down upon a man at random, and tumbling to the ground in a struggle.

In an instant, everyone jumped from their perches and onto anyone that was nearby. Sasha, Merle, Karen and Tyreese ran out of their hiding spots and began using their weapons and fists to attack anyone near them. The six men were thrown completely off guard, not one being able to strike back as the large group pinned them down and punched them until they were out cold. Rick, on the other hand, was still pounding the face of the man he had jumped on. The man's nose was twisted into an awkward angle, and blood was spewing from it and his mouth. A few teeth broke free from the man's mouth as Rick continued to pound into his face over and over, while he screamed the phrase "how dare you take her!" in time with his fist.

"Rick!" snapped Carol as she emerged from her hiding spot with the others. "Rick, stop it!"

When she grabbed a hold of his elbow to hold him back, he pushed her away and continued his onslaught upon the man's face. He didn't continue very long, before Daryl roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him on his ass.

"He's dead," he stated as he fell to his knees in front of Rick and held him at bay by the shoulders. "Ya killed him, Rick. Does it make ya feel better?"

Rick panted as he stared over Daryl's shoulder at the man he had beaten to death. He brought his gaze back to Daryl before glancing down at his bloody hand. His own flesh was raw and ripped, a tooth from the very man's mouth implanted between his index and middle fingers.

"What have I done?" he questioned as he turned his eyes back onto Daryl. "I didn't mean to kill him. So no, it don't make me feel better."

"Good," replied Daryl as he got to his feet. "Means ya ain't lost your mind yet."

Daryl held a hand out to Rick, and he graciously took it with a meaningful half smile on his lips. "Thanks. Just don't let Carl know about this if we-"

"_When_ we get him back," corrected Daryl as he released his hand and backed away.

Rick nodded, thankful that at least someone was still hopeful. He then turned his attention to Merle as he cleared his throat rather loudly.

"It's just one guy. One really dumb asshole," said Merle with a gesture toward the dead man. "Anyway, if ya'll done playin' goo-goo eyes at each other, then we best get goin' ta Woodbury."

Daryl raised a brow at him with confusion. When he glanced to Rick, he could see the same expression mirrored on his face.

"Thought ya said you weren't goin' back there?" Maggie asked for everyone, since everyone was thinking the same thing.

Merle shrugged his shoulders before glancing over to Daryl. "Gotta save my brother's woman. Or so that's what ya say she is. Can't have him being all depressed and shit over some broad."

Daryl narrowed his eyes and let out a low growl, much in the fashion that a rabid dog would do. Merle held up his hands in a gesture of retreat, obviously not trying to start anything. However, Merle was always starting things. He was good at being bad. Maybe he meant well, but the way he said things weren't always the best choice of words.

Not wanting to add anymore fuel to the fire, Daryl bit his tongue and turned away. Hershel wasn't too far away, and he was certain the man was staring him down. The last thing he needed was a heart to heart with Beth's father about his intentions toward his daughter. Hell, he hadn't even made a pass at her, and everyone was assuming they had some damn romance. He cared about her well being, and that was all there was to it. Why did everyone have to turn it into more than that? Maybe it was because he had cared more about her well being than anyone else's in the room. However, with cellmates like Maggie and Glenn, he didn't see the point in caring whether or not they'd be okay. Maggie held her own, and Glenn definitely wasn't a pussy these days. It was hard to be a wimp once you finally had some pussy. And from the way Glenn and Maggie had been acting lately, you'd think they were married.

He was half tempted to point it out, but everyone was onto a different topic of conversation. He glanced toward Maggie as she helped her father sit down. Glenn was at her side, giving looks of concern out of the corner of his eye. If he wasn't a man in love, then Daryl didn't know what the hell to call him.

It was soon decided that Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, Rick and Merle would return to Woodbury. Merle apparently had a secret plan in his head, but he wasn't offering up much to the rest. He did, however, suggest that they take a small group back to the town. He explained how it was fairly large for a town in the middle of an apocalypse, and that too many suspicious characters would draw attention to his plot.

"Ya ever gonna explain this plot?" asked Maggie as she eyed him out of the corner of her eye.

"Ya ever gonna stop naggin' me?" he shot as he rounded on her. "Damn, I ain't even married ta ya, woman. Go nag your boyfriend."

"I don't have to. He isn't an idiot," she replied before moving past him. She didn't spare a glance behind her at the rest of their group, knowing that her father probably heard her. She'd definitely have to explain that later. What she didn't think about, however, was explaining it to Glenn.

When she glanced at him, his face was beat red. Merle noticed the exchange, and he couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.

"The Chinaman got game!" he said triumphantly. "I'd give ya a pat on the back, but I feel sorry for ya. She's a firecracker."

"I'm Korean," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

* * *

Rick kept his back to them as he readied himself for their attack. He glanced down at his hand and released a sigh. It was starting to hurt now, even after Hershel had helped him quickly bandage it with a piece of cloth he tore from his own shirt. He shook his head and started to lead their small group back into the direction they came from. He told the others to find shelter somewhere while they were gone, and that they would eventually find them. He had faith that Daryl could follow their trail. After all, with that many bodies, it would be easy to follow. He just hoped they didn't run into any herds on their search.

Once they reached the end of the woods, Rick let Merle lead the way. He was being remarkably nice about everything, which he supposed was due to Daryl's well being. Rick could say Merle was a lot of things, but being a good brother was probably the best thing he was. Or at least a slightly good brother. At the very least, he seemed to be trying a little harder to be there for Daryl than he had been before. He didn't really know much about their time with everyone in the camp before he showed up, so he couldn't really say if they had had a good relationship then or not. All he knew was that Merle was helping them, and that's all he needed to know right now.

"There it is," Merle announced in a hushed tone as they came to a stop behind an overturned car.

They'd been walking for quite some time, but Rick hadn't even noticed when they had entered into what looked like a town. Or at least what was left of one. When he peeked over the top of the car, he could see a wall made out of cars, tires and tin sheets

"Don't look like much," muttered Daryl as he ducked his head back down before the guards on the wall noticed him.

"Yeah. Well, it's what's on the inside that counts," replied Merle as he crouched down next to them. "I got an idea 'bout what ta do, but you all better be ready to accept a few innocent bystanders gettin' hurt."

"What do you mean?" questioned Rick with narrowed eyes, his stern attitude back in check.

"I mean that all hell is about to break loose, and I don't need you people gettin' soft."

Rick shook his head. "You don't gotta worry about that, Merle," he began as he glanced to Maggie and Glenn's determined faces. His eyes then fell upon Daryl's cold expression. "We're ready to kill, if that's what it takes."

* * *

Sorry for taking so long on this chapter. This month is a very busy month for my shows. Got one on Wednesday, Thursday and plus TWD comes back on Sunday. Be excited! Anyway, I'm not too sure how well I like this one. I tried to add a lot of different elements in here. I wanted to get a little bit of Rick's anguish, but I also wanted to make sure he got over it pretty fast. After all, he has to be focused right now. Carl's still in danger, and Carl's all that matters to him now. But, I also wanted to add the bond that Daryl and him have kind of formed, given that they haven't really been together for very long in this story. I'm pretty sure this entire thing has happened in the span of a few weeks. They were on the side of that road for a few days before finding the estate. They were only in the estate for two days before Martinez took them. After that, they were in the Governor's torture house for at least three days. Maybe even four. I don't think it was very long. Even then, Daryl was with Maggie, Beth and Glenn the whole time. Anyway, I also wanted to put more Glenn and Maggie in there. He hasn't said very much. I've mostly been having Glenn be subtly comforting Maggie throughout all of this, because my main focus is truly Beth and Daryl. However, the overall story is about Maggie and Beth's journey. I hope this doesn't seem too rushed either. I'm pretty sure I'm going off character a bit, but I got a lot of characters to work with here.


	15. The Walker Child

The only thing Beth could think about, was getting Carl and herself out of there. As soon as the Governor's men untied them and tossed them into his room, she was moving about and looking in every nook and cranny. If there was a way out, she'd find it somehow. She couldn't just walk out the front door. Not only were there men posted there, but there were people out in the streets. It would draw too much attention to them, and she didn't want the Governor's attention anymore than she already had.

"What about the window?" asked Carl as he glanced over his shoulder toward her. He had taken to keeping look-out through a peep hole in the door. If the Governor was going to come back, she wanted to know before he was in the room.

Beth moved to the window and peered outside. Behind the Governor's house was nothing like the rest of the town. It was dank and oddly comparable to the building he had them locked up in for the last few days. She took a hold of the latch and unlocked the window. However, when she attempted to push it up with her good hand, it refused to budge.

"I think it's sealed shut," she said with a frown. "Maybe if my hand wasn't injured so bad..."

"Let me try," chimed Carl as he quickly moved to her side. Without waiting for a reply, he took hold of the window with both hands and pulled as hard as he could. The window remained in place, not even budging an inch.

"It's okay," stated Beth as Carl continued pulling. When he didn't stop, she placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled him back. "Carl, it's okay."

"It's not okay!" he snapped as he stumbled back into her. "Nothing about this is okay."

Beth released a sigh of frustration before tightening her grip on his shoulders, and turning him to face her. "Look, my daddy always has this sayin'. He always tells us that we have jobs to do, so we can't get upset. We gotta focus on gettin' out of here, Carl. Once we're safe, we'll bury your mom."

Carl stared up into her eyes, and all he could see was the same comforting look his mom would give him when he was sad or angry. A lot of people said Lori wasn't the best mother, but he loved her nonetheless. He hadn't told her very often how much he appreciated her, and now he felt like he would regret it for the rest of his life.

The sadness he felt thinking about Lori made him look to the ground, unable to let Beth see he was ready to cry. He took a shaky breath and tried as hard as he could to hold it in.

"Carl," she said softly, but he never returned his gaze to her.

"Carl," she said more firmly as she gently shook him by the shoulders. This time he managed a small glance, but only for a moment. As soon as he caught her eyes, he quickly looked back to the ground.

"Carl," she began softly once more. "I need you right now. You're all I have in this. I know first hand that the Governor is ruthless," she said with a shaky voice, which made Carl turn his gaze to her wounded hand.

"He killed my mom," he said with his eyes firmly planted on her hand. "I know he wouldn't hesitate to kill us."

Beth's only reply was a nod. Although, she wasn't entirely sure how true that statement was. The Governor had wanted to take her and Maggie away to Woodbury. He wanted to create some kind of fantasy world, and he actually assumed they'd play along with it without any rejection. Unfortunately, Beth was starting to consider playing along in order to get Carl out, at the very least. As long as Carl was okay, Beth knew she'd be a little happier. She never exactly knew how she was going to get by in this new world. All she had done so far was cry and run away. When she helped Sophia get away, she knew then and there that she had something to fight for. Carl was something too. He was the next generation that could possibly save the world. She had to do what she could to protect him, even if it means sacrificing herself. Maggie and her father would be upset, but she knew they'd understand why she made the decision to save Carl and not herself.

The sudden groans from behind a door a few feet away caught their attention. It was a door that look relatively normal; almost like a closet. They both glanced to the door at the same time, before quickly exchanging looks with each other. Carl moved away from Beth's grip and toward the door. Before he could open it, Beth grabbed his hand and gave him and disapproving shake of the head. She then pushed him back and took a hold of the handle herself, ignoring Carl's whispering protests about how he should be the one protecting her.

In one swift motion, Beth pulled open the door and walked inside. When her eyes fell upon the severed heads inside water tanks lined on the wall, she wasn't sure what the hell to think. She already knew the Governor was crazy. This little room only cemented his crazy factor times ten.

Carl began gently tugging at the hem of Beth's shirt while she was occupied by the floating heads. When she glanced back at him, he held up a pair of scissors she hadn't seen him grab.

"They were lying on the desk. By the way, I don't think these heads are what we heard groaning," he said as his eyes slowly fell upon a set of bars across the room. The inside was shrouded in darkness, but the sound inside was loud and clear.

Beth swallowed down whatever fear she had, and then moved forward and slowly unlocked the cage door. She slid the bars to the side, and then stepped back until her back was directly pressed against the wall opposite of the cage. The groaning sounds that echoed in the darkness made Carl move behind the reclining chair that set in front of the wall of heads. They waited for what seemed like an eternity before a little girl shuffled out. Her feet were chained and her arms were restrained by a straight jacket. On her head was a cloth bag, and her clothes were fairly well kept.

"Oh my God," shrieked Beth as she moved forward and took the girl by the shoulders. "You poor thing. What did that sick man do to you?" she questioned as she pulled the bag from her head.

As soon as what was underneath the bag was revealed, Beth gasped and fell backwards onto the ground. Before her was nothing more but the dead corpse of what use to be a lovely little girl. Beth scooted away until her back was against the foot of the chair. The Walker child was still restrained, but she was more restless now that she could clearly see what she couldn't have.

As she snapped and growled, Carl sat down beside Beth and stared at the girl. "What do we do?" All Beth could do was shrug her shoulders in reply.

"I've never killed one like her before," he said softly.

"You shouldn't have to kill at all," she replied sharply as she turned her gaze on him. "Have you even killed one, Carl?"

Carl stared back at her for a long moment in silence, a look of strained concentration on his face. She wasn't sure if he was trying to think of a large number, or if he was just trying not to think about it at all. She didn't have to hear his answer to know he hadn't killed one. She knew whatever he said would just be a front. She was surprised, however, when he didn't reply at all. He stared at her for a moment longer with that look. When it looked as if he was about to say something, he quickly looked away and remained silent.

"I killed one," she stated as she pushed herself to her feet, putting most of the weight on her legs to push herself up. "It was a weak one. It was my first and only one," she explained as she held out the hand holding the scissors in it, and stared down at the metal instrument.

"I was alone in the shack Maggie and I had found in the woods. It was the third day we were there. She had went out to get us something to eat, and this Walker somehow stumbled inside while I was asleep. I didn't even know Maggie was gone, or that that Walker was there. Not until I heard it groaning..."

Carl stared at her back as she spoke. "You make it sound like its a big deal to kill one."

"It is a big deal," she snapped as she glanced down at him over her shoulder. She took a deep breath before turning around to face him completely. "They were like us at one point. Never forget that they were once human beings. It should never be okay to just kill them."

"You should listen to her," chimed the smooth and confident voice of the Governor.

Beth gasped and dropped the scissors to the ground. She then turned to face him head on, his body leaning against the frame of the door. He was blocking the entrance, so trying to make a run for it was out of the question. She soon felt Carl at her side. She wasn't sure if he understood not to try anything stupid, so she took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She only hoped he was as good at reading body language as Daryl was. In just the short amount of time she had known him, he seemed to have read her like an open book. Although, Beth was never one to hide her feelings and opinions in the first place. If she had something on her mind, she usually let you know how she felt. It was just that, in this new world they were forced to live in, she never really knew what to think. She was completely out of her element outside, just like she was standing in front of the Governor and trying to be tougher than she was. She only hoped he wasn't good at reading body language, otherwise her brave face wouldn't even have a point.

"Don't look so sullen," he said as he walked over to her. Beth instantly stepped away, pulling Carl along with her.

The Governor held up his hands in a gesture of retreat, and then moved to the side of them. He bent down and grabbed the bag Beth had removed from the girl's head. He took a glance over at them, and Beth glared back at him. Carl wore the same expression, only his seemed one hundred times more cold.

"You two should ask before you start snooping in other people's things," he said more sternly, his voice losing the fake charm he tried so hard to make sincere.

"And maybe you should ask if people wanna actually come to your house instead of kidnapping them!" snapped Carl as he stepped in front of Beth and stared the man down.

The Governor swiftly placed the bag back into place before turning his attention on Carl. He stepped behind the Walker child and placed his hands on her shoulders. She was snarling and pulling at her chains to get free. Her attention was focused on Beth and Carl solely, which was very unnerving for Beth. She pulled Carl close to her and backed away even further. She wanted to push him behind her, but he kept resisting her. It was obvious that he wanted to protect her, but she didn't want him to be tough. She didn't need him to be strong for her. She knew what her strengths were, and she could use it to her advantage. The Governor thought her a weak little girl with an innocent smile, so she planned to play it up and get him off guard. If he wasn't focused on keeping himself defended, she could easily overpower him.

With that smile in place, The Governor slowly backed back into the cage. "You're a tough little guy, aren't ya?" he questioned from within the darkness. After he had the Walker securely back inside, he closed the door and locked it.

"Who is she?" Beth asked in a soft tone. When Carl looked up at her with confusion to why she was being nice, she merely squeezed his shoulders and hoped he would play along.

"She's my little girl," he said with a sigh. He stared at them as he spoke, but it seemed more like he was staring through them and off into space as he thought of a distant memory.

"Why don't you end her suffering?"

The Governor narrowed his eyes at her. "Because I believe there's a way to bring her back. I believe my little girl is still in there."

"She's not," muttered Carl with a shake of his head. "She's dead. There's nothing in there but worms eating at her rotten brain."

The Governor growled low in his throat before moving close and yanking Carl away. Beth reached for him, but he roughly pushed her by the shoulder back against the wall. Without saying a word, he carried Carl into the bedroom and placed him on his stomach on the bed. He struggled and groaned as he tried to break free, but the Governor held him down. Beth quickly rushed out and started pounding her fists into his back, but he effortlessly kicked her away and onto the ground. He hit her so hard in the stomach, she felt the air leave her as soon as she hit the ground. She coughed and spluttered to try and breathe regularly again.

He took a glance down at her before pulling a plastic pouch from his pocket. Carl was still struggling below him as he pulled out a needle and stuck it in his arm. It didn't take very long for Carl's body to go still, and his breathing to relax.

"What did you do to him!?" shouted Beth as she crawled to the end of the bed and used the edge to pull herself up onto her feet.

"He's just a little sleepy now. It won't be long before he's completely asleep," he said as he moved off of Carl and stood to his feet. He then placed the syringe back into the pouch and put it away into his back pocket.

Once the Governor moved away, Beth moved to Carl's side and took his hand. She quickly checked his wrist for a pulse, not trusting anything this man said. She sighed with relief when she found a steady pulse running through his veins. She then gently rolled him onto his back and placed her hand on his heart, just to double check that that was still beating.

"You should really let a doctor look at that," said the Governor as he moved over to the door leading to his secret room and locked it.

Beth wasn't sure what he was talking about. She glanced down at her bandaged hand, which Chris had taken a look at before Merle barged in and attempted to save them. He had told her that there was nothing he could do for it. All he did was put a cleaner bandage around it.

"Your shoulder," he said calmly as he walked to her side and placed a rough hand on her forearm. She instantly jerked away, but all he could do was grin at her.

"I don't even feel anything," she muttered in a monotone before sitting down next to Carl. She had completely forgotten that a bullet nearly missed implanting itself into her shoulder. Instead, all she had was a nick of skin missing. At least it wasn't a hole in her hand, which she felt was much worse.

"Probably for the best anyway. Your friends kidnapped the only doctor we had," he said as he sat down at the end of the bed and stared her down.

Beth felt uneasy as he silently watched her. She turned her gaze to Carl, who was teetering on the edge of consciousness. She could feel he was still awake, because every now and then he shifted against her. She didn't know what to do to get them out of this situation. Her mind was hoping someone would just burst in and save them. She knew it was stupid to be waiting for a knight in shining armor, even if it gave her an excuse to picture Daryl or Rick riding a horse while wearing bulky armor and sporting a sword. The image made her want to smile, but she didn't dare think of giving the Governor any thoughts that she enjoyed his company. The only company she enjoyed was Daryl's. Even Rick was far better to be around than this man, and sometimes that man was far too serious.

Suddenly, the thought hit her as if it had been staring her right in the face. As a matter of fact, it really was staring her in the face. She had seen that there was still some liquid left in the syringe the Governor put in his pocket. If she could get it out of his pocket and into him, maybe she could manage to drag Carl out of the room and escape. She knew there were guards posted outside before, but maybe he had sent them away to have some privacy with his guests. All she had to do was make him get close enough so she could slip the pouch out without him getting suspicious. She wanted to puke when she realized that that meant having to hug him. It was the only way.

"Mr. Governor," she began.

"You can call me Phillip, if you'd like."

Beth blinked a few times before swallowing the lump in her throat down. "Phillip," she said softly. Even his real name made her want to throw up. "I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I think I want to stay with you."

She instantly felt Carl jerk his head up in her direction, which he probably regretted almost as instantly. His head began to spin and he released a groan of pain. She could tell that he didn't understand that she had a plan. He probably assumed she had given up hope for anyone coming to their rescue, or for them to rescue themselves. He didn't know Beth very well if he thought that. She wasn't one to give up so easily.

"You finally decided to see things my way, huh?" he asked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Beth gave a nod of her head before gently moving Carl aside. "And I'd like to have a hug, if that's okay."

"Is that okay?" he repeated with a chuckle. "Of course it's okay. Whenever you want one," he said endearingly as he scooted across the bed until he was only inches away.

Carl watched with anger as he attempted to push himself up, but his arms and legs felt like jello beneath him. He fell back against the bed ,and felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness wash over him as the Governor wrapped his arms around Beth. He didn't understand why she was acting so happy with him all of sudden. Or at least he didn't until he saw her wrap her arms loosely around him in return, and slowly inch her hand toward his back pocket. She was playing him. His heart began to beat faster, knowing that one wrong move would be the end of it all.

Beth released a long sigh, which in turn made him tighten his grip upon her. If it were possible, she knew she'd be sweating bullets right now. She didn't want to think about the fallout of her actions. She didn't even know how well this was going to work. All she knew was that it was the only way out she had.

Once her hand was around the edge of the pouch, she swiftly slipped it from his pocket and hoped he didn't feel the absence. Luckily, he seemed rather engrossed with the embrace he had initiated with her. He almost seemed like a normal guy, just wanting to hug his daughter. Maybe he missed that simple act, and that's all he really wanted.

"What's her name?" she asked softly as she leaned over his shoulder. It was an attempt to see what she was doing, and also an attempt to keep him closer while she unsheathed the syringe.

"Who do you mean?"

"Your daughter."

The Governor released a sigh of his own. "Penny. She was a lovely little girl."

Beth almost felt sorry for him in that moment. His voice cracked as he spoke of her, and he seemed to genuinely love his daughter. Maybe the world made him a monster. Maybe before all of this he was a nice guy and a loving father. But, that was before and this was now. He killed T-Dog. He killed Lori. He tortured her and her friends for days, and now he was holding Carl and her against their will. Regardless of what he went through, none of it gave him the right to hurt them the way he had.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she let the pouch drop to the bed behind him. He didn't seem to take what she meant in regards to him, because he uttered something about Penny. She decided not to hesitate any longer, and quickly shoved the needle into his shoulder blade from behind.

The Governor instantly jerked away, but she managed to inject it before he got to his feet. As he started struggling to pull it from his back and stay upright, Beth quickly jerked Carl to his feet and pushed his limp body off the bed and toward the door. It was a big struggle to support his body weight, so she was glad he was much smaller than her. They didn't get very far, though. As soon as they reached the door, the Governor grabbed Beth by the wrist and yanked her away. Carl instantly fell against the door for support, his body slowly sliding down to the floor as his mind fought to stay awake.

"How dare you!" he shouted as he pressed the palm of his hand hard against the injury in Beth's hand. She shrieked in pain, but refused to let it break her. "I was going to give you a nice life. I was even going to let Carl stay. You could have been happy!"

"We would never be happy!" she spat back at him. "You killed his mother and our friend. You tortured us and made fools of us. We could _never _be happy living in a place where every day we spent every moment plotting a way to get away from you!"

The Governor growled low in his throat as he threw her behind him, not caring where. "The boy first, then you," he said coldly as she fell into a standing mirror.

There was no time to feel any pain from the cuts as she fell to the ground, and the mirror shattered around her. She pushed herself onto her hands and knees, shards embedding into them and sending pain throughout every nerve ending. She had managed to endure the pain from her hand, so she could manage a few little cuts and bruises. She knew the moment he started stalking toward Carl, that he planned to kill them. She had screwed up and there was nothing left to do. Or at least she thought there was nothing, until her hand fell upon a particularly large piece of glass.

"No," she said sternly as she got to her feet, slowly but steadily. Her knees shook, but she managed to stand her ground.

The Governor turned around at her abrupt statement, but he didn't have time to register anything. As soon as he was facing her, Beth ran forward and shoved the glass into his eye as hard and as far as she could. The screams that fell from his mouth sent shivers up her spine. Blood spewed onto her hand before she stepped away and he fell to his knees. This was their only shot, even if they were both far too weak to make it very far. She would walk as far as she possibly could, and then maybe someone outside would find them and help them before the Governor or one of his loyal servants did.

"We gotta go!" she shrieked as she grabbed Carl and hoisted him to his feet.

"Mmm," he muttered in return.

That was a good sign to her. At the very least, he was still awake. She could tell he couldn't quite hold himself, so she supported him as she pulled the door open and wobbled out into the hallway. They instantly connected with the wall opposite of the door, and Beth made the mistake of looking back into the room. She barely had time to react, let alone think. The Governor had managed to pull himself over to his desk and grab his gun. He was weak from the pain in his eye and the injection in his shoulder. Before he passed out, he managed to pull the trigger one time. The shot was lined up perfectly and hit Beth directly in the ribs. It went straight through, splattering her blood on the wall behind them.

"Beth!" shouted Carl the best he could. His eyes were blurred and his speech was slurred. The sound of a shot had managed to wake him up a bit. "Don't die. Not now."

"I ain't gonna die, Carl," she said through gritted teeth. "I just...don't know..if I...can hold you...very long," she muttered as she attempted to make her way down the hall. It was starting to feel longer and longer with each step they took. She was glad Carl was attempting to support some of her weight on him, even though they both were walking like they were drunk.

"Get outside," he uttered as they drew closer and closer to the exit. "People will help. Maybe."

All Beth could do was nod. She was feeling more pain by the minute. Her hand was hurting. The cuts from the mirror were hurting. Her stomach where he had kicked her hurt with every breath she took. Everything seemed like it was on fire, and all she wanted to do was fall over and take a long nap. However, the words of her father started to roll through her mind.

_"We all have jobs to do. We don't get to be upset," _she heard his voice ring through her head. She began repeating it over and over in her head like a mantra, until they finally reached the end of the line. They both used their bodies to throw open the door. Once they were outside, however, they both wished they were back inside.

Screaming could be heard as people ran for the nearest house and slammed the door. Some were slamming doors in people's faces. The people stuck outside were screaming in horror, until rotting teeth clamped down upon their necks. Beth's eyes widen as she pushed Carl and herself back against the wall. Walkers were slowly moving about the town. People that weren't running away were attempting to kill them, but were becoming extremely overwhelmed.

"How did we not hear this?" panted Beth.

She didn't know what to do now. Walkers were everywhere, but the Governor was back inside. Even though he was passed out, she wasn't sure she liked the idea of sitting in that room until he woke up to finish what he started.

Suddenly, someone grabbed a hold of them and pulled them by the collar of their shirts. Carl and Beth both attempted to struggle, despite their weaken states. However, the person holding onto them was just far more stronger.

"Would ya two calm down," muttered a voice that Beth knew well enough.

As soon as they came to a stop between the buildings and further away from the mayhem, Beth and Carl turned around to come face to face with Merle. Beth was a little disappointed that it wasn't the other Dixon brother, but she was happy nonetheless. At least he was on their side.

"You two look like shit," he said with a shake of his head.

Beth rolled her eyes. "Just how did this all happen?"

"Ya mean the Walker parade?" he asked with a grin. "My idea. Gov'nor got a whole cage of em' in his backyard. Figured he didn't need em' anymore."

Beth nodded her head slowly, trying to take it all in. Her head was starting to spin and she felt her feet give way below her. The last thing she heard as she fell into someone's arms, was the sound of Walkers growling behind them. She heard Merle screaming at Carl to duck as he started hacking away. Her eyes followed him as he moved in front of them to take on the three Walkers that had stumbled upon them. That left her mind to wonder who was holding her. Carl was on the ground, trying hard to remain awake. Her eyes slowly drifted up as strong arms lifted her into the air. The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious, was the concerned eyes of Daryl staring down at her.

* * *

Before you begin talking about this chapter in your review, tell me what your favorite moment was in the premiere of season 5. If you've seen it, that is. I'm not gonna say anything here, but I will tell you my favorite parts when I reply to your review. So if you don't want spoilers, don't look in the reviews! Anyway, as for this chapter, all I gotta say is that I'm happy about it. Again, I'm sure I'm out of character. I'm sure there's plenty of times I've been out of character in this. However, I like to think everyone has their own interpretation of what you think might happen here or there. I just really like how this turned out. I think this is my favorite chapter thus far, and I think PenelopePants will like this one in particular. She did ask for someone to punch him in the throat. It isn't a punch in the throat, but I'm sure it gets the job done!


	16. The Walker Parade

"You want us to release a bunch of Walkers on people?" snapped Glenn furiously. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Hey!" snapped Merle as he jabbed a finger into Glenn's chest. "Your boss said you all could handle this. If you people are too soft, then just go back to the woods and cower like the pussy foot bitch you are."

Glenn glares back at him. "I'm starting to remember why I was so glad we left you behind..."

"Hey," muttered Daryl as he pulled Merle away. "You two don't start actin' like adults, or I'll send ya both back to the woods."

Maggie put a hand on Glenn's shoulder and pointed to the wall that surrounded the town. "We gotta get inside first. Tell us Merle, what's step one of your brilliant plan?"

Merle smirked as he stood to his feet. "I'm glad ya asked, sugar."

Maggie rolled her eyes and tried hard to keep from gagging. She then glanced to Rick, who was remarkably quiet. She wasn't sure what his view was on all of this. She could sense by the way he had lost it for a moment in the woods, that he was willing to do anything at this point. She half expected him to start beating the ever loving crap out of anyone that stood between him and his son. No one had said anything about his breakdown after Daryl brought him back to reality. She supposed everyone was too worried about the Walkers and the Governor sending more men, to even care that their leader went Tarzan for a moment. He seemed fine to her now, so maybe he just needed to punch something. She only wished it had been a tree instead of someone's face.

She shook the thoughts from her head as she peered over the side of the car. The sun was starting to go down, giving the gates of Woodbury and eerie glow. She knew her sister was behind those walls, so she instantly hated this place.

"What is he doing?" whispered Glenn into her ear.

"Glenn, if I knew what was in that man's brain, do ya think I'd be sittin' here?" she muttered, turning her head a little to glance at him.

"He's makin' a distraction," stated Daryl confidently.

Maggie and Glenn watched carefully as he moved behind cars and into shadowy places. They were all sure that it would be a huge risk for him to get caught. He had betrayed the Governor, and he had probably told the men on guard duty to keep watch for him. They were probably ordered to shoot on sight. She wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even ask questions.

Merle crouched down low behind a car and began shuffling around in the back seat. He soon pulled out what looked like a flare, and proceeded to light it. It was one of the many emergency tactics the Governor had come up with for his men. They had placed flares that they had found over time outside the gate, and were told to use them only if there were too many Walkers to make it back inside. This flare, however, was going to be a perfect distraction for the guards. As soon as it was lit, he threw it as hard as he could toward the top of the wall.

If there were ever a moment to be religious and pray, Merle supposed this would be that moment. He ground his teeth and hoped like hell that it did what he intended. He didn't care if it landed on the wall. That wasn't part of the plan. He just needed the two men up there to see the light and check it out. He hadn't told the others his plan, but he knew the two men on duty weren't the brightest. If he could get one of them to come outside, then the others could ambush him before the one on the wall could do anything about it. And right on cue, one of them began climbing down the wall after noticing the flare light up below, and was now opening the gate to come in his direction.

Once Rick and Daryl noticed the man coming out, it was obvious what Merle had in mind. Daryl knew the inner workings of his brother's brain. He didn't need him to tell him what he wanted them to do. He just did it, without waiting for Maggie or Glenn to catch on. Rick, on the other hand, just could tell from the look Daryl gave him what needed to be done. Glenn and Maggie didn't take long to figure it out, and quickly followed them as they used the darkness to sneak toward the man walking out into the streets.

Going with stealth, Daryl propped his crossbow over the hood of the engine of the first car they stopped behind. He aimed and fired straight for the man on the wall. He instantly fell face first off the wall and onto the outside, landing with a thud on the ground. The other guy turned around with a look of utter shock, which gave Rick enough time to run up behind him, steal his own knife and stab him in the head. He struggled against him once he felt unknown arms surround him, but he went silent as soon as Rick stabbed him. He then gently laid him on the ground and turned to his companions. They all wore indifferent expressions, but everyone knew this was a whole new level. This was the first time they'd be killing people to survive. Most of them were probably completely innocent, which would be why Merle had said what he said before. Rick had already made his choice in the matter. He might have been a little mental earlier, but he was much more calmer now. He knew he had to not look at them as other human beings, but as people holding his only family left in this world hostage. He didn't care who stood in his way. As long as Carl was in danger, he was going to fight to get him back.

"Hey!" called Merle from near the gates. "We ain't got all day. We're gonna knock down their front door and fuck some shit up."

"I almost forgot just how colorful his vocabulary is," muttered Glenn with a little chuckle.

"Oh, it can get far more colorful than that," replied Daryl as he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and dashed over to Merle. Rick, Glenn and Maggie were shortly in tow.

As soon as they entered the town, it was an unspoken agreement that they'd remain quiet as they weaved in between the darkness between houses. Merle led them straight to the Governor's house, which was lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Must be where your people are," whispered Merle as he quickly led them toward the back of the house, trying to avoid any eyes that might be viewing the empty streets.

No one was allowed to be out at this hour. The Governor had a strict curfew that everyone followed, just to keep the noise at a minimum. This was the perfect time for them to sneak inside without being noticed. By this point, everyone else would most likely be asleep or distracted by a book. There wasn't much else to do at home. People usually wondered around town all day for their excitement. If only they knew what lay beyond the walls. They were all sheltered by the Governor's lifestyle.

"If they're up there, then let's break in and get em'," muttered Maggie as she peered up at the window. She saw two figures moving around, and she vaguely wondered if one of them was her sister.

"That ain't apart of my plan."

"What the hell is your plan then?" snapped Maggie impatiently. "Or are you gonna wait until guns are in our faces before you tell us."

Merle soon came to a stop a few feet away from a steel cage. He pointed with his blade toward the cage, causing everyone to stare silently. Groans could be heard from within. Once they moved a bit closer, hands of the dead began shooting out and clawing at the empty air. Maggie moved a few feet in front of the cage and peered inside. Her eyes shone a sadness as she stared at them.

"He's there," she whispered softly.

All of the men stared at each other in confusion, wondering if Maggie had suddenly lost her mind. It wasn't until all of them moved to stand behind her, that they finally realized what she was talking about. Pressed firmly into the steel bars was the familiar face of T-Dog. He looked more human than the other Walkers with him, which only made it all the more sadder.

"Son of a bitch," muttered Merle as he stared him down. "I noticed he wasn't with ya'll, but I just assumed he died before ya'll came here."

Daryl shook his head before grabbing the knife in Rick's hand, and gingerly approached the cage. He made sure not to get too close, not wanting to get bit after all this. He leaned forward and swiftly jabbed the knife between his forehead, instantly killing him. Maggie put a hand over her mouth and took a deep breath before leaning her head on Glenn's shoulder. She didn't have to know him long enough to know he was a great guy. He was a friend, and now he was gone. And just like poor Lori, they didn't have any time to bury or mourn him. Lori's body was most likely being eaten by Walkers anyway. T-Dog was sure to share the same fate soon. There was nothing they could do about that, though. T-Dog and Lori were gone now, but Beth and Carl were still alive. They had to find them and get them out of here.

"Why the hell ya do that for?" Merle asked as he stared the now dead T-Dog down. "Could have used him."

"No," replied Rick calmly. "I'm gettin' your plan is to unleash these things on Woodbury, but not him. He's one of ours and doesn't deserve to be used like that."

"Oh really?" he asked as he ran his blade across the bars, causing a clanking sound to vibrate throughout the cage. It wasn't long before the dead inside were plunging themselves against the bars violently, and reaching out for them with lustful hunger.

"You have a grudge with me, I get that," stated Rick as he moved into Merle's space. "Ya had a thing with him too, but he's dead now. You respect the dead, regardless of what he did ta ya when he was alive."

"You people are really startin' to piss me off whenever you get in my face," he spat as he shoved Rick back.

"We can talk about your problems later. Right now we got bigger problems to focus on."

"Maybe I don't wanna help ya now," he said as he turned away.

"Merle," muttered Daryl as he grabbed him by his shoulder and turned him around. "This was your dumb ass plan. Ya better follow through with it or-"

"Or what?" asked Merle with a raised brow. "Ya gonna whoop my ass, baby brother? Maybe double team me with your new best friend?"

"We ain't got time for ya ta be playin' around!"

"I only got one hand ta play, brother!" he snapped as he thrust his blade into the closet Walker he could reach. He somehow managed to hit it in the chest, so it remained alive and well.

"I get it," he said as he withdrew his blade. "These people are your friends now. Mean more ta ya than your own brother."

Daryl shook his head before looking to Rick, Maggie and Glenn. All of them seemed uncertain of what to say or do. They all knew they were running on a time limit, but Merle could go on for days about how much he was right and everyone else was wrong.

"Maybe if ya did more than just act like a jackass, you'd mean just as much ta em'," he remarked as he moved away. He didn't say they meant anything to him, because he didn't want to let Merle know that they did. The only thing he could manage to imply, was that he meant something to them. He hoped he meant more than just the redneck with the hunting skills. All he knew was that Rick wasn't all there right now, and Merle was never there to begin with. Maggie was an emotional wreck, while Glenn was trying his hardest to be her anchor. Daryl was the only one with half a functioning brain among them all, and that was including the actual dead brains in the cage.

Merle shook his head and broke the lock with his blade in one swift motion. "Maybe ya think I just don't belong here like you?" he muttered under his breath to Daryl before motioning him and everyone else to leave the yard, giving him no time to reply or think about what he had just said

Once everyone was gone, Merle unleashed the Walkers and quickly led them out of the Governor's backyard and into the streets of Woodbury. It wasn't long before their slow moving figures were spotted by the other guards on duty around town. It also wasn't long before the streets erupted into chaos. Once the Walkers were spotted, the guards jumped into action and began shooting them with what they had. All of the irregular gunfire drew a few residents from their homes, instantly resulting in bystanders getting attacked by the occasional Walker passing by. It wasn't long before more Walkers were drawn to the walls outside, and began pushing their way inside through the front gates that Merle and the rest had graciously left open.

Once the Walkers began to spread out, the rescue team did the same. They all knew where Beth and Carl were, so Rick and Maggie went into the Governor's front door while Daryl and Merle watched the back exit. Glenn decided to help keep stray Walkers from entering their path, but even they began to get caught in the fray. Daryl and Glenn ended up far away from the exit in a battle with four Walkers at once. It wasn't particularly hard, especially since the guards that passed seemed to mistake them for their own. Merle was right that a lot of the people that followed the Governor weren't the brightest.

While Daryl and Glenn were preoccupied, Merle slipped into the shadows as the door busted open and two people flooded out. They didn't seem to know what was going on, and was talking among themselves as they pressed back against the wall. It wasn't until he got closer, that Merle realized it was the two kids they had come to rescue. As soon as he reached out and grabbed them by the collar of their shirts from the back, they began to struggle against him.

"Would ya two calm down," he muttered as he quickly hid them from view in the shadows. They seemed to recognize his voice, because they instantly stopped fighting.

When they turned to look at him, Merle vaguely registered a look of disappointment on Beth's face. He also registered the fact she was bleeding and Carl was barely able to keep his eyes open.

"You two look like shit," he said with a shake of his head.

Beth rolled her eyes. "Just how did this all happen?"

"Ya mean the Walker parade?" he asked with a grin. "My idea. Gov'nor got a whole cage of em' in his backyard. Figured he didn't need em' anymore."

He watched as Beth's head bobbed up and down in understanding, but he wasn't sure if she really heard him. By time he had finished speaking, Daryl and Glenn were walking up behind them. Carl didn't have a chance to say anything before he fell against the wall and began mumbling incoherent words about what had probably happened in the Governor's house. Daryl didn't really have time to listen. His attention was brought to Beth as she began to sway from side to side. He quickly moved to stand in front of her, catching her in his arms and lifting her off her feet with a grunt. As he took care of her, Glenn quickly pulled Carl upright and hoisted him onto his back. Merle took that as his cue to take care of the Walkers stumbling their way.

As he stared down at her with uncertainty and concern, the door opened once more and Rick and Maggie came running outside. A Walker ran straight for them, which Maggie swiftly smashed in the head with the end of her gun. She didn't know why she was being silent. The whole town was going crazy, and Walkers for miles could probably hear it all. She then turned to Daryl and instantly gasped in horror at the sight of her sister.

"Oh God," she uttered as she went to his side and took Beth's hand. "When we got to the Governor's place, glass was everywhere and there was blood on the hallway wall. I didn't even think it was hers."

"What about the Gov'nor?"

"He wasn't there," stated Rick solemnly. "Whatever happened, they fought with vigor. They took the Governor for a run."

"Yeah. It was a real mess in there," added Maggie as she gently pushed Beth's hair from her face. "We gotta find daddy. If we don't stitch up that wound, she might bleed to death."

"That ain't gonna happen," replied Daryl as his grip tighten on her even more. He wasn't sure why, but even having Maggie so close made him feel overly protective.

He decided to push past her and make his way into the streets. The town was less infested now, most of them too busy eating or already dead. Now was as good a time as any to make a run for it. And just on cue, Merle came running up to them, yelling for them to quickly follow him. If there was any malice still left from their previous disagreement, no one was showing it. Glenn quickly gave Carl to Rick, and then they all proceeded to follow after the bloody mess that was Merle. He had been helping clear their path while they were waiting for Rick and Maggie to come out.

The whole time that they ran, there was only two thoughts on their minds. They needed to find the rest of their group and have Hershel take a look at Beth and Carl. The other thought was solely for the Governor and his mysterious disappearance. They all knew he had to have been in there. There was no way he was outside during all of the craziness. He would have definitely made his presence known to them. He seemed like the type that needed to always be in the spotlight. If he wasn't in the house, then he had somehow managed to get away. The thought left them all uneasy, but Rick and Daryl felt it more so than the others.

Merle was hacking away at any Walker that got between them and the gates. As soon as they were on the other side, the streets seemed even more empty than Woodbury. Most of the residents had been killed in the ambush. There was no point in thinking about the fact most of them were innocent. Rick could only hope the people that didn't deserve to die, somehow managed to get away as well.

There were a few stragglers outside, but Merle took care of them before coming to a stop at a car and leaning against it. Daryl stopped at his side, Beth's weight getting harder to manage with each step. She was beginning to slip slightly, so he hoisted her up into his arms before taking a moment to breathe.

"We gotta keep movin'," instructed Rick. "We'll go into the woods. If we don't find the others before the sun rises, we'll stop and try our best to do what we can for her."

Maggie stared at him with uncertainty. "You mean I'll have to try my best."

"You're the only other person that knows remotely anything about medical procedures."

"Maggie," chimed Glenn as he took her hand and squeezed it gently. "You can do it. I know you can."

"You're actin' like I have to already," she said softly as she squeezed his hand in return.

"It might be the only option."

Daryl stared down at Beth, her breathing becoming more shallow by the second. She didn't feel cold to the touch yet, which he felt was a good sign. She was still as warm as her smile. He couldn't imagine not seeing it again. He had seen a lot of death since this world went to shit, but he wasn't sure he could handle Beth's. She was everything that was still right in the world. She had a positive outlook on everything, and she had managed to make everything back in their cell seem a little brighter. During their time alone, she would sing a little song to them. Maggie even managed to sing along sometimes. She just had an affect on everyone she knew. She even managed to have an affect on him...

"Hey," muttered Merle through heavy panting. "You guys...you guys go on without me."

"What?" asked Daryl as he turned toward Merle.

The older Dixon was leaning over the car, his body shaking as he coughed violently. "I said go...without me," he muttered through his coughs.

"What's wrong?" questioned Glenn as he released his hold on Maggie's hand.

"I ain't gonna make it..." he replied as he pushed himself off the car and stumbled away. Before he got an inch, he fell to his knees and began coughing furiously.

"Whattya mean ya ain't gonna make it!?" snapped Daryl and he gently placed Beth on the ground against the car. He stepped to stand in front of Merle, and glared him down. "And here ya say I'm the pussy. You're the one being a pussy!"

"Daryl," he said in the softest tone Merle had ever used. He reached out and gripped a hold of Daryl's pants, before using his blade encrusted hand to point at the back of his neck.

A chorus of gasps filled the space once they all beheld the large bite on the back his neck. Daryl's eyes widen as he came down to his knees in front of him. Merle put his good hand on his shoulder and squeezed in an uncharacteristically affectionate way that was nowhere near Merle-like.

"You're playin' with me, aren't you?" spat Daryl as he grabbed him by the shoulders roughly. "Why ya makin' dumb ass jokes like this!?"

"It ain't no joke, baby brother," he said in that soft tone once more. "Believe me, this ain't how I pictured ole Merle goin' out either. Especially not in a blaze of glory savin' these idiots."

Daryl's grip began to loosen as he slumped back against the ground. Maggie, Glenn and Rick remained quiet to Merle's insult, instead choosing to turn away and give the brothers their privacy.

"Don't get all sappy," muttered Merle as he released his grip on Daryl in return. He then slowly lowered his body down against the pavement, his eyes staring sullenly up toward the night sky. Daryl didn't reply, though. His face registered shock and nothing more.

"Hey," he said sternly, sounding more like the Merle Daryl knew and somewhat loved. "Ya better not cry like some bitch. Ya just get that girl to her daddy and don't let my life be in vein."

Daryl slowly brought his gaze upon him, having been just blankly staring off into the distance. "Ya want us ta just leave ya?"

Merle closed his eyes and nodded his head meekly. Daryl could tell he was getting weaker by the minute. He didn't even have to touch him to know his skin was on fire. The brief moment his hand was on his shoulder, Daryl felt the warmth seep through his shirt and sear his skin. The fever was coming much faster than it had with Jim. That was the only person Daryl had seen turn before his very eyes. Well, they had left him before he had turned. Sometimes he wondered if the foolish man ever found his Walker family, and were now wondering the streets of Atlanta until someone blew them up.

It took him a moment to compose himself and push himself to his feet. He stared down at Merle, a look of sorrow in his eyes. Merle didn't want to see him cry for him, but Daryl knew that once he was alone, he wouldn't mind letting it go. He wouldn't dare let himself cry in front of anyone else.

"Okay," he said as he turned away and began to walk toward the others.

"Daryl." His voice instantly made him stop. "I don't wanna see ya anytime soon, so ya better keep your ass alive."

For the first time since they left Woodbury, Daryl put his hand on the strap of his crossbow. The weight of it was sort of anchor for him. He was use to having it, so he had barely felt it while he was carrying Beth. He needed his anchor as he glanced back at his brother one last time, and flashed him a grin that he knew he couldn't see. His eyes were still closed and his face was pointed toward the sky. Daryl believed that that was his way of saying he cared.

Not wanting to drag it out anymore, Daryl walked back over to the unconscious Beth and scooped her up into his arms. Maggie, Glenn and Rick turned around and stared at him with concern and a hint of uncertainty. Only Rick was able to be confident in his concern for his friend. Daryl didn't bother replying. He nodded his head in the direction of the woods, and then began the long journey he knew they wouldn't make. Now that she was back in his arms, Daryl could feel Beth get colder. Her body felt even lighter. He didn't like the feeling one bit. Almost as much as he disliked the fact he had her blood all over the front of his shirt. Maybe even a little bit of Merle's blood was on him. He couldn't really be certain, since Merle was covered in Walker blood and guts.

After a few minutes past and they were a good few yards away from Merle's resting place, Daryl came to a halt in front of a gas station. "I think we're just gonna have ta stop here."

Maggie came to his side and put a hand to Beth's forehead. "You're right. She's almost as cold as ice," she said with a shaky voice. Her hand frantically went to her neck, and blew a sigh of relief when she felt a pulse.

"I hope we can find enough stuff inside to use," commented Glenn as he stared up at the sign in front of the station.

"Let's hope we have a little faith on our side for once," muttered Maggie as she started for the entrance.

Rick, Daryl and Glenn quickly followed after her. The night was beginning to fade as they entered inside, and the sun was slowly rising. As soon as they were inside, Maggie and Glenn fixed a place on the floor for Carl and Beth. Rick and Daryl promptly placed them down, and Maggie went straight to work searching for anything to help stop the bleeding. She knew Beth wouldn't be completely okay until she received some more blood, and she wasn't entirely sure how she was going to do that. She pondered on it while Rick and Daryl secured the entrance and windows. At the very least, she still had a pulse. However, Maggie knew the day was about to be much longer than the night they had just went through.

* * *

"That's the best I can manage," said Milton as he pulled away from the Governor and stared down his handiwork. He had cleaned and stitched his eye the best he could, given the fact he wasn't trained to be a doctor like Chris was.

The Governor didn't respond. He moved past Milton and over toward Bowman and Martinez. They were standing guard at the door to the store they had stopped in for the remainder of the night. It had been Martinez that found him in his room. Milton and Bowman weren't too far behind. He was unconscious still when they hauled him outside and into the mayhem that filled the streets. Everything had happened so fast, no one had had time to register where his hostages were, or even where the people that had broken in were. They decided to assume Merle and those people that escaped had something to do with it.

As the Governor stared out toward the fallen town of Woodbury, a few Biters passing by on their way to the destruction, all he could think about was how much he wanted to kill them all. He wanted to hurt them. He wished he still had them locked away, because then he'd have them right where he wanted them. Now they were scattered, and he had no idea where to begin.

Something caught his eye, and he turned to see a stout Walker shuffling by. He squint his eyes in scrutiny, as he sized up the dead man. It didn't take him long to recognize that blade.

"Merle," he muttered as he grabbed the hilt of his knife and pushed past Martinez and Bowman, much to their protests. He moved toward the dead corpse of Merle, and it turned to make its attack. However, the Governor didn't let him get very far. He shoved his knife directly through his forehead, and then kicked him in the stomach as he pulled the knife free. Merle fell to the ground with a thud, and the Governor stared him down

"Bastard ruined everything, and he doesn't even live long enough for me to torture him. That's fine," he added as he turned his back toward him. "I'll just make sure to give your brother a little extra pain. I'm gonna enjoy hurting him."

Martinez, Milton and Bowman stood at the door to the store, and watched as he moved back inside. He barked a few orders for them to get ready, then they were on the move as the sun began to rise in the distance. The Governor was a mad man on a mission, ready to torment every last person that destroyed everything he had created. Rick, Maggie, Carl, Beth and Daryl were the names at the forefront of his mind. Those were the ones he knew he'd make pay the most.

* * *

Don't kill me! I never said how many people I was going to kill, so I just thought I'd let you all believe Lori and T-Dog were it. I hate to do it, but I've had it planned for just as long as the other two. I know this still isn't very happy, and there's not much Beth and Daryl still. I can't believe I'm 16 chapters in and all that's happened is Daryl thinking about how much he likes her. I can't promise next chapter will have more, but I can promise that there will be some Bethyl soon. I actually think this story is almost at its end. There's not much left for it in my head, so there might be less than 20 chapters. I'm not sure yet. I do have a special note chapter written out, but I don't count that as a chapter. Anyway, as far as this chapter goes, I'm okay with it. I think it's okay. I like it. I love it. I want some more of it!


	17. The Past is the Past

Maggie was certain she was sweating bullets. She felt as if the whole world was watching her right now, waiting for her to screw it all up. This was why her father had always told her that doctors shouldn't work on people they knew and loved. Beth was definitely someone she cared for more than anything else in this world, besides her father and Glenn.

Suddenly, Glenn gently patted her forehead with a rather dirty towel he had managed to find. When she glanced his way, all he did was smile weakly at her. She was thankful he had also managed to find a first aid kit. It had enough materiel for her to work with. At the very least, she was able to stitch up the wound with a needle and thread, stopping the bleeding altogether. It had been a shaky experience, but Maggie managed to stitch it up well enough.

After she finished that, she set about cleaning the blood away with her own shirt. She didn't trust the towel Glenn had found, which made him frown ever so slightly. She explained that Beth was going to be fighting for her life as it was, and that an infection from a dirty towel was the last thing she needed right now.

"I think she'll be fine," said Maggie as she placed a hand on Beth's pale forehead. "She'll just be asleep for a while. I can't say how long, though."

"Good thing the bullet went all the way through, huh?" commented Glenn positively.

"It didn't hurt," she replied with a soft smile.

"That's good," said Rick as he moved to stand over them. He and Daryl had been stuck to the door, keeping a watchful eye out for Walkers, or maybe even the Governor. There was no doubt in his mind that he was still alive, and both Daryl and Rick agreed that he needed to be stopped.

"We need to leave as soon as possible. My dad, or maybe even that Chris guy, can do so much more for her," she explained as she turned around to face Carl's unconscious body. She then gently put a hand to his forehead to check his temperature.

"Yeah," replied Rick nonchalantly. "How is Carl?"

"He's just sleeping. He'll be awake short-"

"I'm awake now," he mumbled, his eyes still closed tight.

Maggie moved aside as Rick knelt beside him. "How are you feelin', bud?"

"I feel like...I got ran over by a herd of Walkers," he said as he opened his eyes. It took him a moment to adjust to the dim lighting, his eyes being blurred by the darkness that had consumed him in sleep. "Is Beth okay? She went through a lot to save me. To save us."

Rick titled his body to the side a bit to give him a better view of Beth. "She's asleep. Maggie said she'll be fine, for now."

Carl weakly nodded his head before turning his gaze to the ceiling. A silence fell among everyone, except for Maggie and Glenn. The two of them had moved to a shadowy part of the room, and began talking to each other in a hushed tone. Carl didn't feel like speaking anymore, so Rick moved back to Daryl to keep watch with him. Rick could see his focus was split between looking outside and watching Beth for any signs of change.

"Doesn't look like there's much happenin'," stated Rick in a quiet tone. Although, he wasn't entirely sure why he was being so quiet. The atmosphere just seemed to beg silence.

Daryl grunted in response, not even bothering with words. Rick was half tempted to ask him how he was doing, but thought better of it. Daryl had proven to be quick to the defense whenever he felt like he was being attacked. With everything that happened with Merle and now Beth, he'd probably be more defensive than ever. That was just the way he reacted to his feelings. Instead of acting like a normal human being and discussing his issues, he put up walls to keep people from seeing he had any. Rick had seen a few people like that in the past when things were normal. Or at the very least, close enough to normal. He could recall some of them being victims to extreme abuse. He had been called out a few times, even though he'd never admit to Lori that there were people like that in their small town.

Rick instantly felt a pang of sorrow at the thought of Lori. He had barely had time to think about her or what he saw happen to her. He had decided to put his feelings of the matter into anger, and used that anger to take it out on a random bystander's face. It wasn't his proudest moment, but he felt like anyone that willingly worked for the Governor after seeing what he did deserved what they got.

"Fuck," uttered Daryl as he quickly moved away from the windows.

"What-" began Rick, only to be interrupted by Daryl swiftly pulling him out of view.

"The Governor."

Rick's expression harden as he made to peek through the window. Daryl quickly waved to Maggie and Glenn to duck down, which they did immediately upon seeing the Governor's in the middle of the street outside. He had three other men with him, one of them being Martinez. The group recognized him, and Daryl instantly wished Merle had killed him instead of knocking him unconscious.

"Will this ever end?" muttered Maggie as she crawled on all fours over to Carl and Beth.

"Not until we end it," replied Carl bitterly.

Maggie stared down at him with surprise. She didn't expect him to say something like that, but she found herself agreeing with him all the same. The Governor was never going to stop chasing them until he got what he wanted. That only left them with two options. They either killed him, or they gave him what he wanted. Last thing she knew, he had wanted her and Beth. After what Beth had done to him, she was certain he'd probably want to do far worse to her. If they wanted to get out of this alive, maybe the only option was for her to give herself to the Governor and save everyone else. She didn't know if that would even work, but she couldn't rely on them just killing him.

As if he had read her mind, Glenn grabbed her shoulder and held her tightly in place. She turned her head to stare at him, words seeming too inadequate to express whatever seemed to be going through her own mind or his. All she could do was put her hand on his and squeeze gently.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" shouted the Governor from outside. His voice seemed to echo throughout the streets, making the silence inside the station painful.

"What makes you think they'd be here?" questioned Milton as he frantically looked around.

"Because Merle looked fresh, and they had an injured body. They couldn't have traveled too far."

Milton became even more frantic by his answer. If the Walkers that could possibly stumble upon them any minute didn't make him uneasy, then the Governor finding these people and doing unspeakable things to them certainly did. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stand by and watch. Martinez had. Bowman never really went along for any of it, much the same way as Milton. They knew about what kind of man their boss was, but they never said anything. His wrath upon them just seemed far more greater a risk to take then losing their morality.

"Maybe we should split up?" suggested Milton.

"No," he barked in reply. "If they're near by and hiding, it'll be much easier to take them down together."

It was hard to make out, but Daryl managed to read their lips the best he could from where they were. Unfortunately, hiding in a gas station wasn't the best idea they ever had. The door was completely made of glass, and the front of the store was surrounded in windows. The only way they managed to hide was because it was rather dark. They had to crouch down low below the windows. At least they were high enough to hide under. Rick and Daryl every so often peered over the edge, hoping every time none of the men outside noticed them.

"Daryl," hissed Maggie as she slowly crawled over to his side. "Daryl, you need to take Carl and Beth and go."

"What? Why the hell does it have ta me?"

"Because you're the only one with the skills to find the others," she replied sternly. "Carl's awake now, but he's in no shape to be fighting."

"I ain't leaving. I'm tired of this splitting up shit," he spat back at her. "I ain't gonna run away like some bitch."

"I'm not askin' you to run," she said with a long sigh. "I'm askin' you to not let Merle die in vein."

Daryl was about to go on the defensive before he realized that Maggie was being dead serious. Of course there wasn't a reason for her not to be anything but serious at the moment. He just couldn't really believe what she was asking until she looked at him with that look, and said those words. He didn't think anyone had heard what Merle and him had said to each other, but maybe Maggie just had really good ears. It wasn't like they were that far away.

"Please," she pleaded miserably. If he didn't know any better, he thought she was about to cry.

"Fine," he snapped in a whisper. He quickly moved aside for her and Glenn to take his place.

"There's a door in the back room," commented Glenn as he passed by him. "We'll distract him."

"With what?"

Glenn gave him a cheeky grin before reaching into his pockets and pulling out a few flares and firecrackers. "Stole the flares from Woodbury. Found the firecrackers in the back."

Daryl shook his head before giving him a half smile. "You're a sneaky little bastard," he began as he gently pulled Beth into his arms. "Ya better not get yourself killed."

"Same back at cha," he said as Daryl quickly made his way toward the door leading into the back room. With one glance behind him, he saw Carl wasn't too far behind. He was even proud that he was in a low crouch, much in the same fashion as Daryl. However, with Beth in his arms like she was, he knew he'd definitely be having a killer backache later.

Since Daryl's arms were full, Carl took the lead and opened the door for them. He quickly moved inside, still crouched as low as he could get. Carl quickly followed behind him and closed the door. Now that they were no longer in the open, they both stood up straight. Daryl felt his bones pop and released a groan. When he glanced to Carl, a grin was on his lips.

"Ya say one word and I'll backhand ya," he said sternly, but his words had no bite. Carl just kept grinning, though.

After Daryl took a moment to adjust his body, they quickly opened the backdoor leading out into the world. Daryl could hear the Governor and his men more clearly now. They were searching through buildings loudly, making a ruckus to probably try and draw Walkers. If they thought all of that noise would make Maggie, Rick and Glenn come out into the open, then they were sorely mistaken.

"C'mon," he whispered to Carl before quickly dashing off behind buildings until they finally came to the end of the abandoned town. It wasn't long before they reached the building the Governor had had them locked up in. The trip probably took them twenty or so minutes, so he was left to wonder in the silence if the Governor and his men had found them yet. Usually he enjoyed the silence and hearing himself think, but his thoughts were betraying him today. He didn't want to think about anything horrible happening to them anymore. He wanted to think that they could have a damn break for once.

"Why did you guys leave everyone else behind?" questioned Carl, breaking the annoying silence.

"'Cause we couldn't sneak inside with over twelve bodies, now could we?"

"No," he replied as he turned his gaze away, acting as if he were embarrassed for asking that question. "Either way, I'm sorry about Merle."

Daryl's body tensed as he spoke. He came to a stop and glanced down at Carl, who looked back at him with confusion. Daryl didn't need to ask to know that he had probably heard what Maggie said. Or maybe he was still half awake when the whole thing went down. He just wasn't sure how to respond to the fact Carl felt sorry for his lose, so to speak. He didn't think anyone would feel sorry for Merle. He sometimes wondered why he ever felt sorry at all. But, that was just how it was. Merle acted like an asshole most of his life, but he had a sort of weird charm that made you want to care about him. It sure as well worked its magic on Daryl. He cared a lot, even though he had yet to show it.

"You know, we're family, right?" asked Carl as he moved to stand directly in front of Daryl. "Merle was family too."

"I don't imagine the rest of em' feel that way, but thanks all the same, kid," he said with a genuine smile as he reached out and pat Carl's shoulder.

Carl smiled back, but instantly pushed it aside as Beth began to stir. Daryl's eyes widen with surprise, not expecting her to be awake so soon. He always thought she had a strong will to live. He had thought as much while he was tracking her and Sophia. She moved like someone with purpose, and now she had managed to survive that wound.

He moved to gently place her down against a tree, Carl standing back a few inches to give her her space as she awoke. It wasn't long before her eyes slowly fluttered open. She squinted them as her vision slowly adjusted to the images around her. She saw trees, vines, bushes, Carl and Daryl. Somehow, it seemed like they both just belonged in a forest-like environment.

She slowly adjusted herself against the tree and placed her hand on her forehead. It took her a moment to register everything that had happened. She remembered running with everyone, and then Lori dying. She then remembered being tied up and dragged into Woodbury, as everyone called it. She remembered being taken to the Governor's house, and then trying to escape. He then showed up, and then she tricked him into believing she wanted to play along with his games. She managed to inject him with something, the same something he put into Carl. They then got away and he shot her, but they were found by Merle. After that, everything else was a blur.

"Wh-where are we?" she asked as she gazed up at Daryl and Carl. "Where's Maggie and everyone else? Did she come with you?"

Daryl quickly averted eye contact. "She's fine. She's with Rick and Glenn. They had some stuff to do," he began, trying to find the right words without mentioning the peril they were in still. "Everyone else is somewhere in the woods, waitin' on us to find em'."

Carl glanced to Daryl out of the corner of his eyes when he left out the fact that that stuff involved the Governor. He decided not to correct him. Maybe he thought Beth didn't need to think about her sister being in more danger. He supposed she had had enough trauma for one day.

Beth nodded in understanding before a sound of shuffling feet caught their attention. Daryl made a gesture for Carl to hide in the bushes, which he obediently obliged. He then instinctively picked Beth up and moved into the bushes with her. He didn't care if it was just one or two Walkers. With Beth like she was and Carl as his only back-up, he didn't want to take any chances that they might get ambushed by more.

Beth stared up at him with surprise and a hint of redness on her cheeks. She remembered waking up in his arms, but she didn't expect him to keep carrying her around now that she was awake. She felt like she was mobile enough. And yet, she was a little glad that he was doing it. She just felt safe and warm pressed against him. She hadn't really noticed until now just how close they really were. He didn't seem to be paying her attention, his eyes focused on the Walker shuffling by. It was then followed by three more.

Once the danger was gone, Beth could feel Daryl start to relax. He finally turned his attention down on her, and for the first time their eyes met. It wasn't anything like when they spent time alone in his truck, or playing pool that night at the estate. They had been alone for hours before, and all they really did was talk about their interests. Well, Beth usually talked while Daryl grunted something in reply. They'd sometimes glance at each and she'd smile, making him kind of smile in return. However, the look he gave her right now was completely different. She didn't know when it had changed, but she saw something there. She couldn't really put a word to it. She wasn't even sure she wanted to.

They sat there like that for a moment, before Daryl cleared his throat and gently placed her down on the ground in front of him. She saw a hint of redness on his own cheeks, and wondered if maybe he was feeling what she was feeling. His eyes certainly said a lot, but she wanted to say actual words. When she went to open her mouth, Carl popped his head into the bushes and bumped straight into the back of her head with his forehead.

"Ah, sorry," he grumbled as they both put a hand to their heads and rubbed the sore area.

"We should get movin'," commented Daryl as he stood to his feet.

"I'm thirsty," chimed Carl as he moved away to stand up straight. "I saw a river a ways back. Can we go get some water before we move on?"

Daryl groaned low in his throat, but found himself nodding in agreement anyway. He then held his hand out to Beth, and she gladly allowed him to help her to her feet. Her legs felt a little wobbly and her side tingled from the sudden movement, but she managed to keep her balance. She walked slower than Daryl or Carl, so Daryl made sure to walk at her pace and stay by her side. Carl noticed them lagging behind, so began to walk a bit slower as well.

As they back tracked to the river, Beth decided to ask about everything that had happened while she was unconscious. She felt as if there was something Daryl wasn't telling her, so she was determined to discover what he was trying to hide. She didn't understand why he'd keep anything from her at this point. Or at least she hadn't until he finally admitted what it was.

After explaining how they fled Woodbury and ended up at a gas station, he then proceeded to tell her about the Governor finding them there. Glenn, Maggie and Rick had stayed behind to face him, which he felt she didn't need to hear right now. She wasn't sure if she were annoyed he didn't tell her, or flattered that he cared so much to not upset her. She did become a little upset, causing her to stop a few feet away from the river and sit upon a large rock. She was beyond concerned for her sister now. Knowing that she was still in harm's way made her wish she were awake at the time to make them all leave. But, she supposed she was still trying to protect her from everything. However, Beth obviously didn't need any help anymore. Hadn't she just proved that by getting away from the Governor and saving Carl in the process? She wasn't weak. She was strong, just like Maggie. It was time she realized that and stopped treating her like a baby. After all, babies don't have feelings for older men...

"Hey," muttered Daryl as he crouched down in front of her. "Ya gonna be okay?"

Beth stared back into his eyes and smiled meekly. "Yeah."

"Good. Now we gotta go find your old man."

"Is your brother already there?" she questioned.

Daryl's entire body seemed to stiffen at the mention of Merle. "No."

"Oh," she whispered. "Is he with Maggie, Glenn and Rick? I just wanted to thank him for saving us. I saw him before I passed out."

"He ain't with em'," he muttered as he pushed himself to his feet and glanced to Carl. He was bent over the river, shoving his entire head down into the water. Daryl only hoped he wasn't drinking it yet. It needed to be sterilized. No telling what was in it.

"I see," said Beth even more softly than before, but not quite in a whisper. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you wanna talk about him? His passing," she repeated more loudly.

"I heard what ya said," he replied. "What I meant was why are you askin'."

"Because talkin' about things that bother you make you feel better."

Daryl shook his head as he turned his back on her. "It don't bother me."

"Your brother died. Of course it bothers you," she snapped in a stern tone.

"Ya don't know nothin' about how I feel, girl!" he retorted as he turned on her.

Beth stared back at him with a fierce determination in her eyes. She wasn't about to back down, and she showed that by crossing her arms and staring him down relentlessly.

Daryl scoffed and turned away once more. She wasn't saying anything else, just staring at him. It was as if her very stare was burning into the back of his neck, because he instantly felt ablaze. He quickly moved away and over to the edge of the river, where he knelt down beside the water. He reached out and cupped some water into the palm of his hands. He then splashed it on his face before his reflection was staring back at him from the water. He quickly ran his hand across it, distorting the image as Beth walked up to his side and knelt down beside him

Once again, she didn't say anything. All she did was stare at him. He finally broke away from the water and glanced at her face. There was no pity. There was no disgust. All he saw was loving concern in her eyes. Or at least he could see concern. Either way, he couldn't understand how she was able to stay so quiet like this. After all, this was the same girl that talked his ear off for hours on the road before they found the estate.

"I want to share a secret with you," she finally said.

Daryl turned his eyes away from her and stared down at her reflection in the water. It seemed out of place next to his. She looked like a delicate flower, despite all of her cuts and bruises. He just looked like a hot mess. His hair growing longer every day, and his body was covered in sweat and grim. How could she look at him with those eyes and not be disgusted?

When he didn't reply, Beth decided to continue talking. "I never even told Maggie, but I tried to kill myself." That got his full attention. He turned to stare at her with curiosity. "It was that week we were alone in the woods. It happened after I killed my first Walker."

"Why should I care what ya did in your past?" he muttered.

"Exactly," she said pointedly, as if he had just answered some big riddle. He stared at her for a minute, trying to figure out what the hell she meant by her one word reply. When it finally hit him, he felt like kicking himself in the ass.

"I didn't think I could handle doin' that again," she added softly as she sat down on the ground and crossed her legs. "I didn't think I was strong. But, I had just killed a Walker on my own. That's when I realized how stupid I was being. Just like you're being stupid right now for bottling up your emotions."

Daryl turned away and grunted. He didn't want to hear her say that, but he couldn't deny she was right.

"I think I need to be less emotional, and you need to learn to be more emotional," she said with a grin. "Wouldn't kill ya to cry a little."

"I ain't gonna cry," he muttered as he shot her a glare.

"If you want to, I don't mind," she said in the sweetest tone he had ever heard.

Daryl stared at her eyes and those grinning lips, and all he could think about was what Merle had said as his last words. He told him not to let him die in vein. His last act was helping them save Beth, and now here she was trying to help him open up about everything. It had all happened so fast, he had barely thought about it. He hadn't thought about T-Dog or Lori, both of whom he knew little of, but strongly missed all the same. He hadn't been able to think about the terrible things they had went through, or the fact that he felt losing Beth would be the worst pain of all. And as he thought about it all while staring at her, he felt so much weight lifting from his shoulders.

He didn't realize it until he had already done it. At some point, he had leaned forward and laid his head upon Beth's shoulder. For some reason, it felt perfectly right to let Beth just take everything away. So, he let her have his pain. He didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes and did exactly as she had told him to. He cried. He let it all out with Carl just a few meters away. However, Carl wasn't paying attention anymore. He had set to building a fire while they were talking, and Daryl found he just didn't care that they had wasted so much time sitting there. All that mattered was this moment with Beth, with her arms gently wrapped around him as he let it all out.

"You're welcome," she whispered into his ear. He didn't even need to ask to know what she meant. She wasn't expecting him to say anything either. She just hummed softly as they sat there, soaking it all in.

* * *

Before I go into this chapter, I have a few things that really need to be addressed. First, I want to apologize to all my readers for deleting the story and making you all have to go follow it again. It seems most of you have found your way back, so that's good! Secondly, I just want to briefly explain why. The comments are not there, but there was a guest that said a few things that made me have a stupid moment! I let them effect me far more than I should have, but a few of you amazing reviewers brought me back. So, I'm going to handle this how I should have, and call them out in my notes. Dear guest, my main issue with you is the fact you kept reading my story, after you so bluntly commented over and over that you weren't enjoying it. There was no reason for that, unless you were a troll. In which case, screw you! I seriously hate people that troll. Oh, you got a rise out of me. You made me do something stupid. Way to-fucking-go! However, it didn't make people like my story any less. As a matter of fact, you made MORE people read my story because I had to update it to let everyone know it was still here. Thank you for giving me more viewers, guest. Your efforts were truly remarkable!

Anyway, on to more important matters. I wanna take a moment to point out the fact that someone on Tumblr added my story to their favorites list! The name is moonshine-and-piggyback, if you wanna go check her or him out. If anyone puts my story on their Tumblr or somewhere else, why not send me a PM so I can thank you properly!? I have no idea if this person is still following the story, but I thank you all the same! I hope you enjoy this chapter because we finally get some yummy Bethyl! For all those that thought Beth was going to die, how could you ever think I'd do that!? I'm not that evil!


	18. The Kiss

"Do ya ever think we'll travel through a place that isn't full of trees?" muttered Carl as he walked slightly ahead of Beth and Daryl, dragging a stick along behind him. "Never thought I'd hate trees so much."

Daryl and Beth didn't respond, causing him to glance back at them over his shoulder. Daryl was in serious mode, glancing down at the ground and taking in every branch, leaf and piece of grass. Beth, on the other hand, smiled back at him in the sweet way she always did. He quickly turned away and stared ahead at the endless stretch of trees before them. Their little stop at the river lasted longer than Daryl had planned, even though Carl had remarked it was him that decided to take so long. He hadn't mentioned that he had saw him crying on Beth's shoulder, deciding to keep it for ammo later. It wouldn't kill Daryl to get a little embarrassed every now and then. Besides, seeing the big, strong Daryl cry on the shoulder of little Beth was too much to keep to himself. It was just begging to be told.

Daryl passed by him while he was in thought, his head low as he tried to make out the trail they had found. It was nearing sunset, making the whole forest glow an orange and red tint. The sun would soon be gone and they'd have to stop again for the night. He dreaded the idea of being out in the open at night, especially with not knowing anything about his father's whereabouts. He wondered if this was how his father felt while the Governor was holding him and Beth captive in Woodbury.

"You two stay behind me now," shot Daryl over his shoulder as he came to a stop ahead of them. "I smell somethin' foul around here."

"As in dead?" questioned Carl as he hurried to catch up to him.

"What did I just say, boy?" he said as Carl walked to his side.

"You said you smelled something foul," he began with a grin. "I'm just wonderin' if you smelled yourself."

Daryl reached over and pushed him behind him. "You're really testin' me."

"Should I give you a B or a C?" he asked as he started walking past him.

Daryl growled low in his throat before glancing behind him at Beth. She was slower than before, but at least she wasn't trying to outright disobey like Carl. He didn't have to be a genius to know Carl was just trying not to think about their situation. He seemed to enjoy trying to lighten the mood, and Daryl almost felt like smiling. He probably would have if he wasn't so consumed with worry for Beth. She wasn't looking very well, and she had her hand on her side again. She was getting even more paler than usual. Daryl was starting to wish he didn't care so much, because it was distracting him from his tracking. He just found he couldn't help it. It was as if no matter where they were, his eyes just instinctively sought her out. And every time she looked at him and smiled, he instantly felt a little relief.

"We should make camp," Daryl instructed as he grabbed Carl by the shoulder and pulled him to a stop.

Carl released a sigh of frustration before plopping down on the ground next to a tree. He leaned back against it while Daryl searched the area to make sure they were safe. Carl was completely unaware of the Walker that was only half a body, and laid hidden on the other side of the tree. It seemed almost as if it were bound to the tree, only now coming to life at the sounds that the three were making. The fresh smell of meat entered its nostrils, and it fell forward onto the ground. It began crawling around where an unsuspectingly Carl was drawing pictures with his tree branch in the dirt.

Without any warning, it latched onto his forearm and attempted to take a bite out of him. He reacted by dropping his stick and jerking violently away from the creature. He could have sworn he heard Beth's voice call to Daryl, but he seemed to have tuned out everything but the growls that came from the Walker's mouth.

Beth quickly ran behind the Walker and began pulling at it to get it away. Daryl wasn't too far away. As soon as Beth pulled it away, Daryl quickly shot it straight through the forehead, taking great care not to hit Beth in the process. Once the dead weight literally became nothing more but dead weight, Beth pushed it off of her and pushed herself onto her knees.

"Beth," mumbled Carl as he stared at her side, horror written on his face.

Beth stared at him for a minute before she realized her vision was beginning to blur. With as much effort as she could muster, she glanced down to her stitched wound and saw fresh blood. The first thing that came to her mind was "had she been scratched or bitten?" She didn't even think about her stitches breaking open until she lifted her shirt and saw they had.

"Fuck," muttered Daryl as he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and moved to stand in front of Beth.

"We should keep going," offered Carl. "I mean, do you even know how to fix that?"

"It's not like I could if I wanted to," snapped Daryl as he leaned closer to inspect her wound.

Beth stared down at him, his hands around her waist to keep her in place. She began to feel a heat in her cheeks at the closeness. She felt like she was about to pass out, and she wasn't sure if it was all entirely from her wound reopening.

"Daryl," she said in a whisper as she gingerly put her hands on his shoulders for support. She didn't exactly know what she wanted to say, especially when he glanced up at her with worried eyes. She had seen that look before she had passed out during the Woodbury escape. She didn't want to pass out again, but she wasn't sure she could walk all that well now.

Daryl cleared his throat awkwardly before standing to his feet, her hands still loosely on his shoulders. He decided not to hesitate, and swiftly picked her off the ground like he had so many times in the last few hours. He was getting use to carrying her around now. She barely felt like she weighed much at all. He only hoped that wasn't a bad sign.

Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and continued to follow the trail they'd been following all day. Carl didn't hesitate to follow behind him. Now that Daryl was carrying Beth, it was quicker for the two of them to follow after the trail that he was certain belonged to the other part of their group. He knew it for the simple fact that there was one set of prints that only had one foot that dragged along, while someone with two rather large feet was helping to drag their weight. There was no doubt in his mind that that was Hershel's one foot dragging along in the dirt. The other set probably belonged to that rather large fellow named Tyreese they had met during their escape. He seemed like the only one that could have such large feet.

Everything was quiet now. The only sound Daryl heard around them was the sound of the forest creatures that only came out at dusk. He heard Carl following swiftly behind him. He could hear the sound of his own breathing as he rushed along. However, he was mostly focused on the sound of Beth softly wheezing. His own thoughts were beginning to crowd his mind. He was starting to wish that he could just cry some more on Beth's shoulder. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he didn't wanna think about all the horrible things going on right now. He had no idea what had happened to Rick, Maggie and Glenn. He was even a little concerned about why the trail to the rest of their group led so far out into the woods. He was starting to worry that even if they did make it away from the Governor, that they'd never find their way to the rest of them. Out of everything else that had happened to her, Daryl just didn't want to see Beth lose her sister. Not after they had finally found their father.

"Daryl," she whispered in the same way she had whispered before, but her voice was as sweet as ever. He wasn't sure why, but he hated when she sounded like that. She was in pain, and yet she was still trying so hard to be hopeful.

"Don't talk," he said sharply. He hoped his brash tone would make her listen. However, it was Beth he was talking to. Even when they first met, she didn't seem to be bothered by his burly ways.

Beth didn't say anything again. He felt a mix of relief and anticipation. He didn't want her to try and comfort him right now, which he was certain she'd attempt. And yet, he still wanted to hear her voice. He was such a selfish prick sometimes. He was starting to like the sweetness in her tone, and the kindness in her smile. Everything about her made him feel better. Even the touch of her hand to his cheek made him instantly relax. He stopped and glanced down at her, realizing she had her hand on his cheek at that moment.

"Daryl?" questioned Carl as he stopped a few feet away from him.

He didn't reply, though. He stared down at Beth before placing his hand over the one she held against his cheek. Her hand was so small and soft against his large, rough and worn one. She was the complete opposite of him. All he ever saw in the world was bad, and all she ever looked for was the good. He wondered what it would be like to be able to see nothing but good in people. He wondered how she saw the Governor after everything he did to them. Did she still think he was a good person?

Carl stared at them for a moment before moving past them. He somehow felt like he was intruding on something private. He had felt that way before at the river, which is why he tried to look as if he hadn't seen anything.

Beth watched Carl with her eyes, noticing Daryl wasn't paying him any attention. She was still awake, but she definitely felt more pain with every step Daryl took. Every move just seemed to send a jolt of pain through ever nerve in her body. She tried to ignore it as she brought her gaze back to Daryl, all of his focus completely on her. He was looking at her in the same way he had earlier. He seemed to be looking at her like that more and more, compelling her to want to say something. She didn't know what to say, which was odd for her. She always knew what to say. People sometimes said she said too much. But right now, with Daryl staring at her so intently, she just didn't know what to do. All she could do was stare back, almost forgetting the fact his hand was still gripping onto hers tightly.

"'M sorry," he uttered as he leaned back against a tree with her.

"For what?"

He merely shrugged in reply.

Beth frowned. She then gently wiggled her fingers free from his grip. "You don't just say you're sorry for nothin'."

"I'm sorry for a lotta things."

Beth stared at him as the words left his mouth. It was probably the most open he had ever been with anyone, and yet it was still so guarded. He didn't look like he was ready to elaborate on anything he was sorry for, so Beth just smiled.

"If you ever wanna tell me, my shoulder is still open."

"Ha," he laughed softly. "Maybe someday."

"Someday is always a nice day," she said with a half grin. "It could be tomorrow, or even a week from now. Someday comes whenever you want it to."

Daryl shook his head. "Anyone ever tell ya you talk nonsense?"

"You do," she said softly as she leaned forward until her face was only inches from his. "I imagine you'll tell me again in the future."

"Mmm," he uttered as he stared intently into her eyes.

Neither one said another word. All Beth did was wrap her arms around his neck and lean forward until her forehead was against his. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, sending a shiver down Daryl's spine. She was so close that her warm breath was brushing against his lips. If he wanted to, he could steal a kiss. But, did he want to, was the question. Did he want to finally establish what he was feeling? His head knew. His whole body was screaming the realization of what this was he was feeling, which he was feeling in more places than just his heart. However, that was thinking with his lower regions. He wasn't a man that followed his lustful urges, even if he couldn't deny Beth was damn perfect. But, he wasn't about to try anything like that. There was too much going on for him to be thinking those thoughts. Not to mention all the other factors about just how wrong it was for him to think about that with her. So, he let himself think more harmless thoughts. Thoughts about just simply kissing her, even though he felt just as dirty thinking about it.

Daryl swallowed down the lump in his throat, a nervousness washing over him. He was starting to get better at admitting he was a bit scared of everything involving Beth. These feelings were new to him. The way he acted with her was new to him. Every time he was around her, he just felt the urge to protect her and hold her close. He wanted to be her knight in shining armor, so to speak. Of course he'd never speak it out loud. Not even if she herself begged him to say it. There were just some things Daryl Dixon would never do.

As if somehow sensing something was wrong, Beth pulled away and stared at him with concern. He managed a smile before putting a hand against her cheek and slowly inching forward. There was no stopping now. He had made his choice. He was going to kiss her and let her know how he felt. He was going to make it like one of those romantic, sappy kisses you see on TV. A kiss, that without a single doubt, would express everything he needed or wanted to say, without actually having to stutter over the words and awkwardness. That was the Daryl way.

"Hey guys!" chimed Carl as he ran toward them.

Daryl instantly stopped mere inches from her lips and quickly pulled away. Once he did, he saw Beth's face was full of surprise and annoyance. Maybe she was just as into the whole idea as he was. He wasn't sure why it surprised him so much that she wanted to kiss him. Even though he knew what he liked about her, and wanted to have it, his brain couldn't help but ponder what the hell she liked about him.

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Carl said over and over as he drew closer and closer. "I found em'! I found the group."

"What?" questioned Daryl as he snapped his head in his direction, all thoughts of yelling at him for ruining the moment gone.

"I found the group," he repeated as he came to a halt in front of them, bending over to catch his breath before continuing. "They found an awesome place too."

Daryl raised a curious brow at him before glancing down at Beth. She was as curious as he was. He didn't bother asking any questions. He simply gestured for Carl to lead the way. As they walked along, Daryl slowly began to lose the doubt he had before. They had found the other half of their group, at the very least. Now he can quickly hand Beth over to Hershel, and he and Chris could take care of her while he went in search of Rick, Maggie and Glenn. Of course he'd wait until Beth was okay before he left. He'd also make sure to keep what had almost happened a complete and total secret from everyone. The last thing Hershel probably wanted to hear was that Daryl tried to make-out with his injured daughter. In the end, it was probably best it never happened anyway. As much as Daryl hated it, Beth certainly didn't need him messing with her head anymore than he already had.

"There," said Carl as he came to a halt on a hilltop.

"Holy shit," uttered Daryl as he looked out at the view below.

Below and hidden in the trees, was a large prison. Fences surrounded the entire enclosure. In the middle of all the fences and in the large, open fields set a group of people, burning dead bodies. It was hard to see faces from up high, but Daryl began counting out the heads and saw it was the exact number of people they had left behind. Well, almost the exact number. One head was missing in the crowd. He almost felt his heart break until his eyes fell upon a figure on top of a turned over van near the gate.

"They're pretty smart," he muttered.

"Of course they are," chimed Beth. "They're our family."

"That they are," replied Daryl softly. "Let's hope they don't shoot us when we go down there."

Carl cringed at the thought before leading the way. It was starting to get dark, so Daryl was beyond thankful that someone up there was giving them a break. Maybe it was just a way to stop him from kissing Beth. He was certain he would have done just that if Carl hadn't of interrupted. If that wasn't a sign to tell him how stupid he was being, then he didn't know what else would count as one. And yet, he couldn't help but think about how nice it would have felt to just kiss her. To feel just how soft her lips would be compared to his dry, chapped ones. Anything would be softer compared to him. But since it was Beth, his mind began to create fantasies about just how soft she was in all the right places.

He instinctively licked his lips as Beth's weight became harder to hold. Just her being so close made everything harder...

"Stop there!" shouted a feminine voice. Daryl had never been so happy to hear Andrea yelling.

"Andrea," Daryl called back as he stopped in his place.

Andrea's eyes widen when she recognized his voice. "Daryl? Daryl, I'm so glad it's you! Who do you have with you?"

"It's Carl and Beth. We got em' back, but the Governor found us before we could get here."

"So Maggie, Rick, Glenn and Merle are still behind?" she questioned, her voice seeming to get closer. It wasn't long before she was on the ground and opening the gates for them.

"Yeah," he replied as he and Carl walked up to the fence. He didn't feel like sharing about Merle just yet. At least not until everyone was together in one place. He knew most of them would ask, and he didn't want to repeat himself.

"How did ya find this place?" he asked as he stepped inside, Carl helping her swiftly close the gate behind them.

"It was the newcomers," she explained as she locked the gate with a chain and lock. "That Tyreese guy said he heard some of the guards talking about a prison that was full of Walkers. We figured we'd give it a shot, since we had so many people."

Daryl nodded in response before looking toward the prison itself. Andrea continued explaining how they hadn't went inside yet, but could plainly see they still had a lot of work to do. The sound of a worn voice calling out for Beth caught his attention, and he turned to see Hershel hopping their way. Carol was right at his side, helping him when he needed it.

"Bethie," he said once more when he was closer. "Thank the Lord you're okay."

Beth reached out her hand and he gently took it. "I'm glad you're okay too, daddy."

Hershel managed a small smile before looking at Daryl and Carl. He noticed the missing faces and decided not to question about it. When Carol looked as if she were about to say something concerning the issue, Hershel turned his eyes on her and shook his head. She shut her mouth and nodded. Daryl was amazed how well everyone seemed to be getting at silently talking through nods and shakes. He kind of felt a little annoyed to share his secret of body language with everyone. He liked it better when no one understood him. However, he also liked it that Beth seemed to understand him. He was a conflicted man sometimes.

After Sophia came over and began fussing over Beth and Carl, much to his dismay, Hershel led them over to the little area they had set up. It was temporary, of course. They all decided that they'd take the rest of the prison once everyone was back together. That was the moment Daryl explained what had happened at Woodbury. He tried to fit everything in, but he mostly skimmed over Merle's death. He mentioned he didn't make it, and thus received a few looks of condolences, which he promptly ignored. His explanation ended with him leaving Rick, Glenn and Maggie in a gas station while the Governor and his men were invading them.

"It couldn't be helped," stated Hershel as he gestured for Daryl to lie Beth on the blanket he had just laid out on the ground. "I believe that they'll be okay. I believed Beth would be okay, and she is."

"Barely," retorted Daryl as he gently sat her down.

"Barely is better than nothing at all."

Daryl stared at Hershel as he slowly and awkwardly lowered himself down next to Beth. He then gestured to Carol to bring him a bag. She walked to his side and sat it down next to him before Sophia knelt at Beth's other side.

"I told everyone that they shouldn't have worried," she said softly as Hershel began to clean and bandage the wound properly. Chris was standing back and watching, but it seemed Hershel would have no one else take care of her. He hadn't even bothered to ask Chris to do it, and now there were more than enough people surrounding her.

"I kept telling everyone how you saved me," added Sophia happily. "I kept saying you'd save Carl too, because you're like Wonder Woman."

"Ha," Beth chuckled softly, even though the slight movement sent pain through her side. She decided to ignore it, but the pain was written on her face clearly. "Thanks for the compliment, but I'm no Wonder Woman."

"You are to me," replied Sophia as she put a hand on Beth's good one. "If I ever get to grow up, I hope I'm just like you."

"You will grow up," Beth said sternly. "You and Carl will grow up and be happy."

"Especially now that we have this place," interjected Carol as she leaned over Sophia, and put her hands on her shoulders. "This place could be exactly what we needed. We could start a life here."

"That sounds pretty damn familiar," muttered Daryl as he clutched onto his crossbow. "Think I heard Lori say something like that about the estate. Look at what happened ta that."

"Daryl," chided Carol as she turned to him.

"It's the truth," he said as he backed away. "You people can get all cozy if ya want, but I ain't gonna rest until I get the rest of us back and kill the Governor," he said as he turned his back on them. "I wouldn't even rest then. We ain't safe no matter where we are."

"I felt safe with you, out in the woods," chimed Beth as she gently pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Daryl didn't turn around, but his entire body seemed to freeze to the spot. Everyone glanced at Beth before turning their eyes on Daryl's back. He felt as if every last hair on his body was standing on end. He felt as if every prying eye was analyzing her words, and twisting them. Hell, he himself was twisting them in his own head. He didn't know how to trust his mind anymore. He took all the simple things and made them harder than they needed to be. The truth of the matter was, that he probably felt safer than he had ever felt when she wrapped her arms around him and let him cry on her shoulder.

"I'm gonna go stand watch now," he said swiftly, trying to glaze over the situation. "Maybe the others will show up before sun sets. I'll go look for em' tomorrow if they don't."

Without a glance to anyone, Daryl shuffled away and toward the van. Beth watched him go with a sigh, a strange feeling of emptiness in her stomach. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt rejected. It wasn't as if he had flat out said anything like that, but the way he was acting now was completely contradictory to his actions moments ago. He was so close to kissing her. She knew she wasn't dreaming that. Daryl Dixon had been about to put his lips on her own, and she had never wanted anything more than Daryl's kiss at that moment. She hated that Carl had interrupted, and now he was being his usual moody self. She was starting to see that he liked to go back and forth like a yo-yo. One minute he was happy to oblige her, then the next he was happy to wallow in self doubt. He seemed like such a confident guy, and yet he always seemed to second guess himself when it came to her.

"Don't look so down, Beth," chimed Carl as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, Daryl's the only one that's allowed to cry on people's shoulders around here!" he shouted as loud as he could, just to make sure Daryl could hear it from his perch on top of the van.

Sophia and Carol exchanged a look with each other before glancing over at Daryl. From where they stood, it almost looked as if he was trying really hard not to turn around and throw something in Carl's direction. Instead, a few strings of not-so-silent curses could be heard. All Carl could do was grin over his shoulder. He then asked loudly again, if anyone wanted to hear the story of how Beth made Daryl cry on her shoulder. He never got an answer, though. Beth had quickly glared at him fiercely, instantly silencing him, and prompting Sophia to go on about how Beth was definitely Wonder Woman in disguise.

* * *

I enjoyed writing Beth and Daryl so much this chapter, and I'm really happy to have just spent two chapters with just them. They've had only a few moments together until now, and they weren't entirely alone. They weren't completely alone here either, and I bet you wish they had been. Damn you, Carl! Either way, there's still going to be a lot of Beth and Daryl to come. As you can see, Daryl's having an inner battle with himself. He doesn't know if he should go there or not, even though Beth clearly wants him to go there! He's just concerned about a lot of things at once, and it's making him uncertain about whether or not to throw anymore burden on Beth than he already has. Anyway, I'm sure my "knight in shining armor" thing is really weird. I mentioned it before in Beth's thoughts, and I'm actually trying to manipulate someone into drawing that. How funny would that picture be!? Daryl Dixon, dressed in armor, riding a horse and sporting a lance! Someone, please make this happen! And as a final note, thanks to PenelopePants for the idea of having Carl mention the scene where he cried on Beth's shoulder to everyone. I think it was just the right kind of humor to end on after all the tension and confusion of this chapter. I hope I did it good for you!


	19. The Prison Yard

Despite what they had just went through, the world seemed oddly at peace. The animals were scurrying about, forgetting that they were in a nightmare world where the dead came back to life and ate the living. Maggie somewhat envied them. They didn't care about death. They didn't have any reason to cling to this world like humans did. The only thing they knew how to do was fulfill their basic needs and one day become someone else's meal. Maggie started to think about how much she really had in common with them. All that was left in her life was to try and live, and then one day become dinner for the dead.

"We should stop here," called Rick over his shoulder, for he was slightly ahead of her and Glenn.

Maggie nodded as she glanced to Glenn, hanging off of her shoulder. He nodded in return, and she gently helped him sit down against a tree. She then set next to him and pulled his shirt up a few inches to expose the wound he had received from a knife.

"When we find everyone else, I'm locking you and Beth in a bubble," she muttered as she pulled a needle and thread from her pocket. She had managed to grab a few things before they left. Unfortunately, she hadn't had time to get anything to clean his wound with. For now, she settled with using the part of her shirt that wasn't covered in Beth's blood.

"Ha," chucked Glenn softly. "Don't worry. It's just a flesh wound."

"You're an idiot," she replied with a shake of her head.

"You're smiling, though. That means I'm a charming idiot."

She quickly pressed her lips together. "Glenn," she chided, trying hard to hide the fact her lips were trying to form another smile.

Rick came up behind them and bent down at Maggie's side. "I ain't no tracker, but do you see that."

Maggie stopped staring at Glenn to notice Rick was pointing at something in the distance. Both Glenn and Maggie followed his gesture to a tree a little ways away from where they sat. Half a body of a dead Walker laid on the ground with an arrow sticking out of its forehead.

"Daryl," Glenn commented in a whisper. It was if he were afraid that if he said his name any louder, the evidence would disappear.

"He never leaves arrows behind," commented Rick. "Somethin' must have happened."

"I hope not," Maggie replied, exasperated. "We shouldn't think somethin' bad happened just because endless bad things keep happenin' to us."

"You're startin' to sound like your sister," muttered Glenn, drawing Maggie's attention back to his wound.

"Well, then that means I sound like my father. He taught her to always believe no matter what," she said softly as she finished cleaning his wound. She then threaded the needle and leaned closer to examine his injury. Glenn braced himself as she pinched his skin together and slid the needle through.

Rick decided not to comment anymore. He turned away and stared off into the distance. He didn't know how Daryl could find his way through all these trees. He felt as if he were in an endless maze. They had spent a good part of the night wondering around in the woods after they finally got away from the Governor. Glenn's distraction was their heaven sent. After Daryl had left with Beth and Carl, Rick decided that the Governor needed to go. They had to end his life, or risk living with him lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike out against them again.

They had waited until all of them were grouped in one spot, and then Rick gave the order to open fire with what they had left. The Governor had quickly used one of his men as a shield at the last minute, saving himself from the bullet that was aimed straight for his head. It had been the man with the glasses. Rick didn't know his name, but he didn't linger on feeling guilty about it. He had chosen to stand by the Governor. It was only fitting that he fell in his honor.

After the man was dead at his feet, the Governor and his remaining men began firing back. It wasn't long before glass and dust was flying everywhere. Of course they had quickly taken cover behind overturned cars, making it a little harder to get in a shot. Maggie had managed to shoot the Governor in the shoulder, and that's when Rick decided it was time for them to get out of there. However, when they had tried to leave, one of the Governor's men had found the back entrance and sneaked inside behind them. They had been distracted by the gun fight, and barely had time to react to the man with the knife behind them.

It was the other man that they didn't know. They knew Martinez well, but he was still shooting from outside. He came up behind Maggie and had attempted to slit her throat, but was stopped by Glenn just in time. A fight broke out between them, and it ended up with them rolling around on the ground. In the end, Glenn got stabbed in the side, almost identical to where Beth had been shot. Maggie had been the one to quickly pull the man off, and Rick had been the one to slice open his throat. He had already done so much at this point, so a little more blood wouldn't have made a difference.

After the man was dead, Maggie helped Rick toss him outside for the Governor and Martinez to see. That was part one of their distraction. Part two happened almost instantly, as Maggie and Rick threw the firecrackers and flares out the shattered windows. Walkers had already began pouring in from the gunfire, so the added noise only made them rile up more. While the two men outside were distracted with the dead, Maggie and Rick quickly took Glenn and made their escape out back. Now they were here, sitting in the woods and trying hard to recover from yet another wound.

"You know he's going to follow us," added Maggie softly.

"I know," replied Rick as he glanced over at her.

"We should have tried harder to kill him."

"I know that too."

Maggie didn't reply again. They were just talking in circles now. Glenn was unconscious from the blood loss and pain. Maggie would have worried, but she was getting use to seeing the people she loved unconscious. She should have been terrified for being use to it. However, all she felt was relief that he was still breathing. As long as they were still breathing, she knew she could feel okay that they weren't dead yet. She wasn't completely numb yet.

Rick turned his attention away when he heard a noise behind them. Maggie didn't move much from in front of Glenn, but she did shoot a glance in Rick's direction. He was still crouched next to her, now with his gun up and prepared to shoot. His face was in the same serious mode he had been wearing all week. Or maybe it had been weeks. Maggie didn't know how much time had passed since they were taken from the estate. Everything had happened so fast, and yet it felt as if it were happening at the slowest pace imaginable.

"Stay low," Rick whispered as he heard movement once more.

Maggie nodded in reply as she moved to sit next to Glenn. She made sure to shield his body with her own. It was only right, she thought. After all, he had thrown himself into a knife fight without a knife on her behalf.

While still crouching on the ground, Rick slowly stepped his way toward the trees. His gun was at the ready, and his finger was loosely on the trigger. It wouldn't take much to tighten his finger and take out the threat. However, what came out from behind the tree was no threat. The crossbow wielding man before him was like an angel in disguise, here to save them from having to spend the whole day wondering aimlessly in the woods.

Daryl slowly lowered his crossbow and looked them over. "Man, you three look like hell."

Rick glanced him over in return before standing to his feet and lowering his gun. "Right back at cha," he said with a gesture toward the blood on his shirt.

"Yeah." He turned on the ball of his heels and slung his crossbow over his shoulder. "C'mon. The others found a place."

"Daryl," called Maggie as she stood to her feet quickly. "Beth?"

Daryl didn't bother to turn around, not wanting her to see the expression on his face at the mention of her name. "She's fine."

"And my dad?"

"He's fine too. They're all fine," he snapped before taking off into the direction he had came from.

Maggie raised a curious brow as she watched him leave. Rick and her exchanged the same uncertain look before he came over and helped the unconscious Glenn onto his feet. He heard Glenn mumble "right there, Maggie," prompting Rick to glance at her with curious eyes. Maggie instantly found her cheeks glow with embarrassment, but gave a shrug of her shoulders in reply. Rick couldn't help the sly grin that spread across his lips, which only made her all the more redder in the face. All she could do was gently slap his arm before quickly following after Daryl. She could have sworn she heard Rick's low laughter as she passed him by. She'd definitely be talking to Glenn later about his "talking in his sleep" issue, that she just now discovered could be a problem later in their relationship.

As soon as the word passed her thoughts, she almost stopped in her tracks. She had practically called him her boyfriend already, but it had mostly been out of spite to annoy Merle. Not to say that she didn't feel for Glenn in some way. She had definitely felt something when she was alone with him in that house. He wasn't too bad with his hands either. But, that was all physical. She had never truly felt a deep connection before. She knew that every time Glenn attempted to comfort her and hold her close, she felt safe. She felt that it was okay to let herself go and have Glenn take all the pain. Maybe for the first time in her life, she felt something other than a good time. It was just so ironic that when she finally felt as if she were finally living, the whole world had decided to go to hell in a hand basket.

* * *

The prison was relatively quiet after Daryl departed. Dale was sitting on top of the overturned van next to Andrea as she kept watch. The two were laughing about something or another as Beth strolled by with Hershel. It seemed everyone was at peace now. Carl and Sophia were playing a card game with a deck that Dale had kept in his pocket all this time. Carol was watching them from a distance while she talked animatedly with Sasha and Karen. Tyreese watched the two women from afar while he was talking with Chris. Everyone seemed to be having a better day than the last few days, which was understandable. Being kept locked up in a concrete torture room would put a damper on anyone's spirits. However, Beth just found she couldn't be completely at peace like everyone else.

Hershel wasn't saying much as they walked along, which she was grateful for. It gave her time to be alone with her thoughts, even though she really didn't want to think about Daryl at all. However, that was all she could think about. She thought about the way he looked at her when they were talking. She thought about the way his body reacted when she pressed her forehead against his. And she thought about the way everything seemed to stop when he placed his hand against her cheek and moved closer to her lips with his own. Even though he didn't get a chance do kiss her, her mind let the image of him doing just that flash through her thoughts. She could feel every detail of his lips against hers. She could smell him as she breathed him in. Daryl's smell was odd, and yet strangely satisfying. She imagined it was a strong scent of pine, mixed with a hint of blood and sweat. There was just something about it that made her wish she were alone with him again.

"Bethie?" spoke her father, finally ending the silence between them.

"Hm?" she asked softly, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment from what she was thinking. Her father didn't need to know anything about the way she wished Daryl would push her against a tree and-

"Are you okay?"

"Peachy keen," she replied with her voice a little higher than normal. She quickly cleared her throat. "I mean, I'm fine."

Hershel glanced over at her as he came to a stop. "Well, I was asking more about your physical state of being. But _now_ I'm wondering about your mental state."

"Daddy," she whined. "You worry too much."

"I reckon I don't worry enough," he said with a shake of his head. "I got one daughter still missing, and the other is beaten to pulp nearly."

"That doesn't mean anything bad about you, though. That just means your daughters are reckless."

Hershel turned to face her completely. He couldn't help but smile at the cheeky grin she gave him. "You two need to stop worryin' your old man so much."

"Maggie's the biggest problem though, daddy," she chimed as her grin turned into an innocent smile.

"Mhm," he replied with a soft chuckle. "I know better than that," he added as he reached out and tapped her on the nose.

Beth giggled softly in return before lowering her gaze. A sigh escaped her lips as she clasped her hands behind her back. "Daddy?" she began as she turned her gaze back up to meet his eyes. "You're right. Maggie isn't the one you should worry about so much. She's still the same old Maggie. Me, on the other hand..."

When she trailed off and didn't finish her statement, Hershel raised a brow at her. "And you're not the same old Bethie?"

Beth slowly shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Suddenly, the sound of Andrea yelling drew everyone's attention to the gate. "They're back! Daryl's back with Rick, Glenn and Maggie!"

Everyone began going toward the gate, but Beth didn't move right away. She looked at her father and smiled the biggest smile she could manage. "I haven't figured out yet if it's good or bad, but I do know it's different."

Before he could say anything, Beth grabbed his arm and began slowly pulling him over to the others. She wasn't quite ready to admit a lot of that change involved Daryl. She knew most of the change she was talking about was her feelings. She knew she wanted Daryl. She also knew he wanted her. After all, he was the one that had been so close to kissing her. All that was left to figure out was how to make him see how she felt about him.

"Dear Lord," exclaimed Dale as Rick bounded in with Glenn. "What the hell happened to him?"

"I got in a fight with a rabid knife," he uttered with his face against Rick's shoulder, his eyes still closed. "The knife won."

Hershel shook his head. "We're gonna need more medical supplies at this rate."

"Maybe we'll find some stuff once we get inside," chimed Sasha as she walked to his side.

"I know we're all anxious to see what's in the prison, but most of us are still pretty weak," retorted Hershel as he hobbled over to Rick.

"Not all of us," said Rick once he was at his side. "Besides, it would be best if a small group goes inside."

"Who do you have in mind?" asked Andrea as she cocked her gun.

Rick rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he walked Glenn toward the blanket Hershel was gesturing him toward. "I think Daryl, Maggie, Tyreese, Sasha and myself will be a good group."

Andrea looked on with disappointment. "Okay."

Rick gently placed Glenn down, while Hershel and Maggie took their spots at either side of him. "Don't look so down. I'm gonna need someone with sharp shooting skills up high," he said with a gesture toward one of the towers. "Once we get in and clear enough space for ya, I want ya up in a tower."

Andrea immediately changed her tune and flashed him a grin. "Can do, chief."

"We'll go in a few hours," Rick announced as he glanced around at everyone.

"I don't think I can," muttered Maggie as she looked up at him with weary eyes. "I-I don't want to leave his side."

Rick stared at her with uncertainty. He wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or understanding. "Okay. I guess. But, I'd feel better with five people."

"What about Beth?" offered Carl as he came up to his father's side.

"Yeah," piped up Sophia.

"I don't think so," shot Maggie with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah," added Daryl as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Rick stared back and forth between Maggie and Daryl and the kids. His eyes then landed on Beth, who stared at him helplessly of what to say. He then glanced at Hershel, who seemed awfully interested in reading the back of a box of band-aids.

"I wouldn't mind," said Beth softly, almost as quiet as a mouse.

"Beth," scolded Maggie as she turned her eyes on her.

"What? Do you think I can't do it?"

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

Beth released a long sigh. "Who else is gonna do it then?"

Rick glanced around at his options. There was Carol, Karen, Chris and Dale. Honestly, he didn't really trust Chris. He didn't really know why he was still here. Merle was the one that knew him and dragged him along. As for the rest, he wasn't sure how well they'd hold up against a large amount of Walkers. He didn't know Tyreese or Sasha too well, but they looked capable enough. He wished Glenn wasn't hurt, because he really didn't want to get involved in sibling rivalry.

"I think Karen will do," he said swiftly, hoping to end the argument there.

Beth stared back at him for a moment, but she didn't seem all too upset that he had shot her down. She smiled as she turned her back and walked off to another corner of the fields. Daryl and Maggie both watched her go before their eyes met. It seemed as if they were silently raging war between each other on who should go after her. Daryl certainly didn't want to be chosen to do that, especially knowing what had happened the last time they had been alone together. However, Maggie looked as if she didn't want to start another argument with her sister. After seeing the way the two easily got into it over the smallest things, Daryl had no other choice but to quietly shuffle after her. He could have just ignored Maggie's pleas, but part of him actually wanted to follow Beth. It was the part that kept thinking about her lips against his skin. Her hand upon his cheek. Her body against his body.

_"For fucks sake," _he thought as he came to a stop a few feet away from her. He took in a deep breath, hoping to tame whatever urges he had brewing. He couldn't very well speak to her if all he was thinking about was jumping her bones. He shouldn't be thinking about that anyway, especially since she was barely just eighteen and her father was not very far away. The man may have only had one leg, but he had two hands that knew how to work a shotgun.

A shiver went down his spine at the thought. He shook his head before moving a bit closer, clearing his throat to get her attention. When she turned to face him, he was only able to stare at her silently. He thought he could say something to her, but he found he wasn't able to really speak at all. She wasn't making an effort to speak either. She simply stared back at him, her mouth hanging open slightly. He couldn't help but stare at her lips for a moment, which resulted in a blush forming on her pale cheeks. He wasn't sure what to feel about that, even though part of him was greatly amused to find he had that kind of effect on her without even trying.

Beth cleared her throat and turned away quickly. "I know you agree with my sister. It's fine. I didn't really wanna go anyway."

"M'kay," he uttered nonchalantly.

"M'kay?" she repeated as she turned around with a glare. "That's all you have to say about it?"

"Yep," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Y-you're unbelievable!" she practically shouted, her voice rising an octave.

"Hey," he snapped as he moved closer. "Keep it down."

"No, I will not," she replied sharply. "You can't just share your feelings with me, and then pull away because you can't handle...whatever this is," she snapped with a wave of her hands.

Daryl narrowed his eyes as he quickly clamped his hand over her mouth. He glanced over his shoulder to the rest of the group, all of which were preoccupied with Rick's plans about infiltrating the prison to pay them much mind. They were far enough away from them right now, so he willed himself to relax a bit. However, Beth certainly wasn't happy. She expressed her unhappiness by roughly slapping his hand away from her mouth. He turned on her with a raised brow, slightly impressed by the fact she hit harder than he expected her to.

"What do ya want from me, woman?" he hissed as he got even more into her personal space.

"I..." she began as she took a step back, only for him to move closer again. "I just want you to pick an emotion."

Beth stepped back again, but he kept stepping closer and closer until her back was against the fence. He reached out his hands and hooked them into the fencing on either side of her head, locking her in place between him and the fence. Her eyes traveled away and toward the group, but no one could notice them so far away. She didn't dare glance back, uncertain of what expression would be on his face. She could feel her heart beat faster and faster as it threaten to beat its way right out of her chest. Between being uncertain and nervous, Beth also felt utterly confused. Was he picking an emotion to go with finally? The idea that he was possibly going to treat her like he had when they were alone in the woods, sent excitement through her body in much the same way she felt when she thought about actually kissing him.

After the silence dragged on for far too long, Beth finally took a chance to bring her eyes back to Daryl's face. As soon as she looked into his gaze, all she could see was emotion. She didn't know what kind of emotion. All she knew was that he was sending a lot of it her way. Suddenly, he began moving closer until his face was only inches away from hers. She thought he was going in for another attempt at kissing her, but then something seemed to pull him back a few inches. The air that filled the space between them seemed bitter and cold. She didn't know what she was expecting from him at this point. All she knew was that if she wanted to prove anything to him, she'd have to make the first move. So she did exactly that.

Beth took a deep breath, placed her hands upon Daryl's shoulders, closed her eyes, and then took a leap of faith by leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. She knew this was crazy. Everyone they knew was around them, and there wasn't any darkness to cover them in privacy. The sun was high in the sky as it slowly drew closer and closer to the afternoon. Her whole body was pounding with nervous excitement, hoping like hell no one came over to see what was taking them so long. She just wanted to finish what he had started. It was just one little kiss. One little kiss that started out extremely awkward. His lips were pressed shut, and he reacted the way she expected he would: by not really reacting at all. She was afraid that he would pull away and yell at her for being so careless. However, she was completely unaware that he was having an inner battle with himself on whether to return the kiss or back away.

It seemed like minutes passed without either one really doing anything. In reality, it was only a few seconds before Daryl finally responded. He pulled his fingers from the chain link fence, and placed his hands on either side of her face. His eyes were still wide open, giving him a perfect view of her reaction. She seemed to be eager, which in turn made him respond with a groan. Without wasting another minute, he pressed her back against the fence and kissed her. It was slow. It was awkward. It was passionate. Soon it was nothing more but his tongue entangled with hers as soon as she opened her mouth to sigh. She wasn't expecting him to shove his tongue in her mouth, and so he became greatly amused when she gasped.

Once his hands traveled away from her face and down her body, Daryl had to stop himself. He rested his hands on her waist and unwillingly pulled away. He felt completely satisfied when he saw the dreamy look in her eyes, and the way her knees almost gave way. It was nice to see he literally made her weak in the knees with just one kiss. He wondered how she'd react to all the dirty things running through his mind, which he quickly pushed away. Kissing was one thing, but touching her like that was something entirely different. He wasn't even sure what to say about what had just happened. He knew for sure now that there was something there. She had felt it too. And damn it, Daryl was finding it hard to be strong.

"So..." she said breathlessly, making it even harder for him to keep his hands where they were. She felt if she talked any louder, the feeling she felt right now would disappear. "Is that the emotion you're gonna go with?"

"You're a nightmare," he muttered as he turned his gaze away. "A pretty nightmare."

Beth raised a brow at him, but he decided not to explain what he meant. It was an inside joke with himself. He had once referred to her as a nightmare, which his mind in turn added that at least she was a pretty nightmare. The more he thought about it, the more it was true. She was going to be the death of him at this rate. And if her father saw any of what had just happened, he'd definitely be a dead man.

"What now?"

Daryl brought his gaze back to her, and she smiled in that charming way of hers. "Dunno."

Beth narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I'll kiss you again if you don't give me more than one word sentences."

"That doesn't sound like much of a punishment," he replied with a half grin.

"Now you're gettin' cocky."

"Not as cocky as you," he muttered as he backed away from her slowly, releasing his grip on her waist. Her hands fell from his shoulders and landed at her side.

Beth didn't reply. Her smile was back in place, and God help him, he wanted noting more than to kiss that damn smile away. He didn't know what to say at that point, so he leaned next to her against the fence and stared off into the open fields. She stared at him from the corner of her eyes, which made him sigh. He could just feel her gaze on him. He didn't need to see it to know she was looking.

"I dunno what this is," he said softly. "I just know I don't wanna hurt you."

"Then don't."

Daryl shook his head at her bluntness. "That's easier said than done."

"For you, it's easier done than said..."

Daryl slowly lowered his head. Before he could say anything else, the sound of Rick calling out to him brought his eyes to her. He stared at her for minute before pushing away from the fence, and putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He mostly wanted to avoid touching her again. He stared into her eyes for a moment longer, hoping his gaze would be enough to explain everything he needed her to know. He knew he couldn't turn away from her now. He knew whatever it was between them was more than friendship. He wanted it to be more. She seemed to want more as well. And as long as that was what she wanted, he knew he could give it to her. Or at least he knew he could try.

Beth titled her head to the side and stared back at him with a look that seemed to see right through to his soul. "I don't know what it is either, but I can't wait to find out."

Daryl stared at her as she pushed away from the fence and walked past him, deliberately brushing against his as she went. She seemed to walk with a bounce to her step, and he sighed inwardly at watching her retreating backside. His vision was soon obscured by Rick as he approached him. After Rick began talking, Daryl zoned out. He knew what needed to be done inside the prison, and would go into serious mode once they were inside. As for right now, all he wanted to think about was Beth's sweet taste and perky butt.

* * *

I hope that made up for the misleading title last chapter! I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This story is drawing to a close soon, but I can honestly say it's not completely over. I was going to leave the fact I have a sequel in store as a surprise at the end, but I already sort of spilled it when I posted a chapter about me moving my stories to AO3. I then changed my mind and deleted that chapter. It was formerly chapter 17 and after those issues with that guest. I don't know if anyone was paying much attention to the fact I said there was a sequel, so I probably just ruined the surprise! Well, this is as good a time as any to tell you all anyway! The sequel will sort of follow season 4 and 5, kind of like how this story followed season 2 and 3. I plan to focus less on everyone and more on JUST Gleggie and Bethyl. There will be a considerably larger amount of Bethyl than Gleggie, though. Either way, it should be just as interesting to everyone that loved this story. Until then, enjoy the sexy thoughts of Daryl Dixon!

By the way, I posted a little Halloween story the other day. You can find it in my story Firsts. I whipped it up in one day for the holiday, so feel free to go check it out.


	20. The Proposal

"Be careful, Sophia," lectured Carol as the little girl ran past her. "We haven't cleared out the entire prison yet. Stay in this cell block, okay?"

"I will!" she called over her shoulder before running up the stairs and over to Carl. Carol chuckled as she tried to force him into a game of tag. Instead of cooperating, he went on about how he wasn't interested in playing games when there was so much more that needed to be done.

It had been two days since the group made their way into the prison. Things had went off rather well. No one died fighting off the Walkers that plagued the inside. Daryl, Rick, Tyreese, Sasha and Karen managed to clear out a good amount of the dead, and had even opened up the cell block they were now in. The rest of the prison still needed some work, so Rick took the same people with him on their second day to scout the rest of the prison out. They only managed to get to the kitchen before they had to return. They managed to find a large amount of food and four inmates hanging from the ceiling, dead. Apparently, they had been locked inside when everything went down. No telling how long they had been there.

Rick was now planning another mission to go further and see what else they could find, while everyone else was going through the boxes of food they brought back. No one had said it yet, but everyone was thinking the same thing. Rick was trying to hide behind everything else. It became obvious when Carl tried to mention Lori earlier that day, and Rick blew him off. Rick didn't want to think about her, or what had happened to her body. No one really wanted to think about the Governor or Woodbury. However, they had no choice but to think about it. Rick, Maggie and Glenn finally told them before he and the others left to secure the rest of the prison. They told them everything that had happened while they were holed up in that gas station. It was obvious that they all wanted to forget, but both Daryl and Rick knew that the Governor wouldn't forget them.

"I'll search for him," stated Daryl as he leaned over the table, palms firmly against the surface.

"Alright," replied Rick. "If anyone can find him, it'll be you."

"Damn right I will," he uttered as he leaned away and crossed his arms. "Can't promise I won't kill him on sight."

"Daryl," chided Rick with a shake of his head. "We don't need anyone doin' anything stupid now. We have this place, and we're together. We're a team."

"I don't play well with others."

Glenn chuckles at his side. "Ya can't use that excuse anymore, buddy. Not after all the stuff you did to save Beth and Carl," he said with a playful slap to Daryl's back.

Daryl turned his gaze toward him. He didn't say anything. All he did was stare at him with his indifferent expression. After a while, Glenn backed away and cleared his throat awkwardly.

Maggie shook her head as he moved to stand behind her. "Men," she uttered.

"Anyway," interjected Rick, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "I think we're done for today. Tomorrow we'll go search some more of this place. For now, let's burn some bodies."

"Mmm, I do enjoy roasting Walkers," chimed Glenn as Rick started out of the building. Glenn and Maggie followed suit, just as Beth walked into the room with empty cardboard boxes.

Daryl seemed to stop everything and look her way. There was no one else around. Most everyone was either in the cells or outside. Of course the cells weren't very far away from the room that they had declared as the storage area. There were tables and shelves that they stacked all the canned and other food goods upon. Beth stopped as soon as she entered the room and saw only him standing there.

"Hey," she said cheerfully, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Hey," he replied in return. He even managed to smile back at her.

Beth lowered her gaze and giggled softly before moving to place the boxes in a pile they had started in the corner. He raised a curious brow at her before glancing around. No one was remotely close, and he couldn't hear anyone in the other half of the block. He then cleared his throat and moved to stand behind her, causing her to run straight into him when she turned around. She looked up at him curiously before stretching onto the tips of her toes and placing a rather innocent peck to his cheek.

"Is there somethin' you want?" she asked in a tone that was meant to be soft, but sounded more sultry than she probably meant to.

"What do you think?" he asked as he raised a questioning brow.

"I dunno," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a grin.

He narrowed his eyes in response, but a playful attitude seemed to take over. "You tryin' to mock me now?"

"Me? Mock you?" she asked in false exasperation. "I would never."

Daryl shook his head as he grabbed her by the chin. He then leaned closer to her, but once again, hesitated to act on what he started. She smiled at him before leaning forward and kissing the side of his lips, his fingers loosely around her chin still. It had been the first time they'd been alone since that moment in the fields. Daryl hadn't stopped to think about it, since most of the time he was too busy to think about anything. Beth had been busy helping to clean since they got inside. Neither one had done anything, except for the occasional smile she sent his way. His eyes never failed to notice her whenever they were in a room together, even if it were just for a few minutes. And for a short moment, all he could think about was her.

What the hell was he suppose to even call this? She was far too young to be messing around with, and yet he just found he could really care less. Beth never acted like a normal teenager. She always did and said things like she were mature beyond her years. It was hard to see her as a little girl. He hadn't been able to see her that way since the day the Governor shoved a knife in her hand, and she turned around and tried to save their lives.

Absentmindedly, he reached down and took her bandaged hand in his. He slowly pulled the bandage away and stared down at the slowly healing flesh. Her hand and her bullet wound were things that Hershel said would never fully heal. She'd forever wear the scars for the world to see, just like he forever wore his scars. He just never let the world see them. Even though the wounds she sustained weren't the same kind of abuse, it was still abuse. And yet, she was okay with letting them show.

When he brought his eyes away from her hand, she stared at him with curiosity. "Its only been a few days. I'm sure it won't look so bad in a few weeks."

"I don't like it at all," he muttered as he gently wrapped her hand up once more.

Beth didn't reply. She stared at him with that same curious look. He released her hand and backed away, but she only moved closer. Daryl glanced around again, just to be certain that no one was around. He didn't particularly know how to explain what this looked like, when he wasn't sure yet what it was. Beth hadn't asked him again since their first kiss, which he was grateful for. All he was able to admit to himself was that he cared very much for her. He wanted to ask what she thought it was, but part of him was afraid to know the answer. He supposed part of him would always make him feel like he didn't deserve anything. He knew he certainly didn't deserve a girl like Beth.

"Daryl?" she questioned. He responded with a grunt. "Tell me, why didn't you let go of my hand?"

Daryl stared at her with confusion. He then looked down at her hands before the memory came back to him.

"Daryl?" she asked softly when he didn't respond right away.

"'Cause," he began as he looked her straight in the eyes. "I saw the way he was lookin' at Maggie. I didn't want him gettin' ideas."

"Oh," she said as she stepped back, her hands on her hips. He really shouldn't be one to talk about ideas. At that moment, his mind was filled with ideas about what he'd like to do to her.

He cleared his throat to clear his mind. "Anyway, how 'bout you answer me somethin'?"

"Okay?" she replied with uncertainty.

"Back at the estate..." he began as he glanced up at the ceiling. "How did ya know it was me? Ya know, when they had your eyes covered."

A smile spread across her lips. "That's easy," she said as she turned on her heel. "You're the only one of this group that would be brash enough to refuse to be taken hostage."

"Oh yeah?" he said as he moved closer. Before she had a chance to reply, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. He then proceeded to mercilessly tickle her ribs, making her release a loud burst of giggles throughout the empty block. For once, Daryl didn't care who heard. He was far too amused by Beth giggling to care about anything else. Besides, it was time he paid her back for all the little remarks she made and he let slide. He had been far too nice to her, and that just wasn't the Daryl Dixon way.

"D-Daryl!" she managed to say throw her fit of giggles. She then attempted to pull away, gently swatting at his hands. However, he held her firmly in place, only momentarily stopping his tickle assault.

"What's the magic word?"

"I'm gonna kick you in the shin."

"That isn't very nice."

"Maybe I'm not a nice person."

"Oh please," he muttered as he turned her around in his arms.

Beth stared up at him with that same dreamy look she had after their moment two days ago. It made him think about kissing her again, but it seemed like he wasn't very good at initiating it. No matter how many times he tried, he kept pulling away. He knew he was letting too many thoughts run through his mind. Not many of them were even his own. He kept thinking about what Hershel or Maggie would think of his intentions with Beth. The only intentions he really had at the moment, were kissing and holding her. All the others were just things his manly urges conjured up to torment his mind. He knew he would never truly act on them. Not unless Beth asked him to.

"Ahem," chimed a voice from behind them. When Daryl realized it definitely didn't belong to Beth, he quickly pulled away from her and turned to see Maggie in the door way that led outside.

Almost instantly, Daryl regreted pulling away like he was doing something wrong. However, neither Greene girl was saying anything now. Maggie wasn't sure what to say, and Beth just didn't know what she was thinking. After a moment longer of silence, Daryl moved toward the table he had laid his crossbow on and lifted it onto his shoulder. He remained silent as he moved past Maggie and walked outside. He felt as if he really had been doing something he shouldn't. He knew he shouldn't have let his guard down, but he found he was helpless when he was around Beth. She made him feel like nothing was too big for them to handle together. Maybe he should have stayed and proved her right. Maybe Maggie was tearing into her right about now, and he had left her all alone to deal with it. In the end, he always seemed to find a way to run. Even when he tried so hard to kiss her, he found a way to skid around it. He probably would have done the same in the woods if Carl hadn't have interrupted for him.

_"I need ta think," _he thought as he came to a stop. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes. How he had managed to keep them was a mystery, much in the same way that Dale managed to always have a deck of cards in his pocket.

_"What the fuck am I doin'?" _he thought once more as he popped a cigarette into his mouth and lit it up. He really didn't know what he wanted anymore. He cared for Beth, but he wasn't willing to express it to everyone else. He didn't know what he wanted to really express at all. All he knew was that he needed to learn how to stop running away from her. Every time she took a step closer, he kept taking one step back. Never mind the fact that he had all these thoughts in his head when it came to what he wanted to do. All he had managed to do so far was respond to her advances. He hadn't once made the first move. Of course tickling her didn't count. As far as he was concerned, tickling her was the most innocent thing his mind had thought of as of late.

_"You're just a horny bastard," _offered a voice in his head. He glanced around, thinking that maybe someone else was speaking to him. However, it was just all in his head. He wasn't sure if it was his guilty conscious, or if maybe it was someone else. It was odd how his conscious suddenly sounded a lot like Merle.

_"Shut up," _he replied in his head. _"Ya don't got no room to talk. You're hornier than I ever was..."_

_"Maybe so, but that's why it's stupid for ya to even be worried about it."_

Daryl closed his eyes and growled low in his throat. How the hell was it that the ghostly voice of his brother made more sense than his own voice? He wasn't going to question it now, because he was honestly starting to get a headache from having an argument with himself.

"Today's gonna be a long day," he said out loud, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air.

* * *

Maggie released a long sigh of frustration as she she sat down upon the bed she had claimed the first day they got into the cell block. She rolled her neck and stretched her arms, trying in vein to relieve the tense muscles. It had been a while since anyone had had a moment of rest. She hadn't noticed just how stressed she was until now. Her stress seemed ten fold after walking in on the scene between Beth and Daryl earlier that day. She hadn't said anything after Daryl left the room. She had wanted to say something to Beth, but she turned and left as well. Maggie found she just didn't have the strength to follow after her and start an argument over nothing. After all, could she really claim there was something?

"Hey," chimed a voice from the entrance to her cell. She turned her body in the direction of the voice and smiled upon seeing Glenn.

"Hey yourself."

He grinned as he moved to sit next to her. "You look like you could use a long massage."

"Are you offerin'?"

"That is what boyfriend's do, right?"

Maggie's smile faded as she turned away, hoping he didn't notice the hint of redness that formed upon her cheeks at his statement. Glenn's grin faded as well once she turned away. He looked down at his lap, noticing out of the corner of his eye that her hand was lying in her own. He released a long puff of air before gingerly reaching over and taking her hand in his.

"It was just a joke, you know," he said softly, almost soothingly. "I don't expect anything from you. We just had sex the one time."

Maggie snapped her eyes to his. "That isn't all we've done, Glenn." He stared back at her, and she released a sigh. "You've been there for me in ways no one else has."

"You were upset."

"You still didn't have to be there..."

Glenn's hand tighten around her hand as he slowly moved his face closer. "I guess not."

Maggie decided not to reply. Instead, she just smiled. It seemed to be contagious because Glenn found it hard not to smile in return. Without any warning, he released her hand and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close against him, holding her tightly in place. Her eyes closed as she pressed her face against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his embrace and the smell of his scent. Everything about him was more intoxicating than she thought possible. And as of lately, all she could do was think about him. Of course it was in between thinking about the Governor's ever looming presence, and Beth's sudden interest in a certain redneck. She didn't really want to think on that one too much, though. She'd rather Beth came to her. As of right now, all she wanted to do was bask in all things Glenn.

"Maybe you didn't have to be there," she began with her lips against his shirt, making it almost hard for him to understand her. However, he seemed to go completely still as he listened to her intently.

"You didn't have to be there, but I'm glad you were. I want you to always be there."

Suddenly, she raised her face from his chest and stared into his eyes. She stared as intently at him as he had listened to her. Glenn didn't hesitate to move forward and capture her lips with his own. There were a lot of things weighing on his mind since that day they spent in each other's arms. It seemed like ever since then, he'd been trying to get her back in his arms. Now that he finally had her, he never wanted to let her go.

He pulled away abruptly, causing her to stare at him with confusion. "Maggie, I want to be with you."

Maggie raised a hand and placed it against his cheek. "I want to be with you too."

"Then be with me. Be my wife," he said with conviction.

"Glenn," she chided softly as she caressed his cheek with her fingers. "We haven't even declared love for each other."

"Isn't asking you to be my wife enough?"

Maggie bit her lower lip as she stared into his eyes. Glenn stared back with so much affection that it was impossible for her not to feel the same. The truth of that matter is, that Glenn had effected her the moment she met him. She just didn't know how much he had wedged himself into her heart. And the longer she stared into his beautiful eyes, the more she knew what she saw was more than just a need to survive this world. It was a need to live. He wanted to live in this world with her for as long as the world let them live. They both couldn't deny that everything was moving pretty fast because of their situation, but they also couldn't help but feel it was right.

"Yes," she whispered, bringing her other hand up to his other cheek. "Glenn, I will marry you."

Glenn's smile grew even larger. He then pulled her close and pressed his lips hard against hers. He didn't need to say anything more. Neither one really did. All they needed was to seal the moment with what they both had been longing for without even knowing it: the warmth of each other's bodies pressed together. It wasn't long before their sweet kisses turned into passionate smooches. It was instantly decided in silence that they should move somewhere more private.

They pulled away from each other and quietly scurried off into another, yet secure, part of the prison. It wasn't until an hour later that they returned, and dinner was being served. Beth was helping Carol with it as Maggie and Glenn entered. When Beth glanced at her sister's disheveled and breathless expression, a knowing grin spread across her lips. Maggie glared back at her, but the grin never once faltered. Not until Hershel walked up to them with a curious brow raised. They both put on their best innocent face and hugged him like the good little girls he thought they were. Once he got his plate and walked away, however, Beth turned on her sister.

"I see you and Glenn have been gettin' along fine lately."

"About as well as you and Daryl," she retorted with a raised brow, hoping to prompt her sister onward.

"If you think Daryl and I do what you and Glenn do, then you better never bet money on it."

"Then you two just have tickle fights?"

Beth blew out a puff of air. Maggie wasn't sure if she was annoyed or just simply frustrated. "I don't really know what to say about it."

"You know you can tell me anything."

Beth stared at her with a look of uncertainty before glancing over at Daryl, Glenn and Rick as they sat at a table together. "I really like him..." she responded in a soft, thoughtful tone.

"What about his feelings toward you?"

Beth sighs again. "He said he doesn't know what to call it. He just doesn't want to hurt me."

"That's good," began Maggie as she grabbed herself a plate of food. "If he did, I'd have to castrate him."

"Maggie..."

Maggie smirks at her horrified expression. "Look at it this way. If I don't kill him first, you know daddy will."

"I think it's best if we don't talk about it to daddy yet," she whispered as she moved closer to her. "Not until Daryl knows what he wants."

"I think I can think of a few things Daryl wants from you," she muttered.

"Maggie!" she chided more loudly, causing a few heads to turn their way. She turned her eyes away from their prying ones and focused on the lukewarm food of chili and beans.

"Bethie," began Maggie as she placed her food down and pulled Beth close. "You really shouldn't worry. You didn't see the way he looked at you when he thought you were going to die. I think he already knows what it is. You just gotta give him a little push to say it," she explained as she gently bumped her hip.

Beth chuckled softly as she wrapped her arms around her waist affectionately. "Thanks. But, I'm surprised you're so cool with the idea of Daryl and I."

Maggie wrapped one arm around her back and sighed contently. "Beth, I just think life is too short now to worry about mundane things from former society. If you're in love, then you should go for it."

"Love?" Beth repeated as she pulled away and stared up at her, a look of anxiety written on her face. "I wouldn't say we're like that."

"Eventually," Maggie stated as she grabbed her plate and walked away. Beth watched her go, hips swinging from side to side. She rolled her eyes once she sat down next to Glenn and inserted herself into the conversation liker she always did.

Beth released yet another sigh before turning her back to the room of happy chatter. Even though hearing everyone like this made her smile, she felt a lot of different emotions in her head. She was happy that everyone was safe, and that Maggie wasn't losing her mind over witnessing Daryl and her innocently interact with each other. However, she was also a mix of nervousness and excitement. Most of it had to do with Daryl, as it seemed to be everything revolved around him lately. She wasn't trying to make it seem that way, but it just happened that way.

She quickly pushed it all aside as she grabbed her food and went to sit with Carl and Sophia. She wasn't flat out told to watch them. As a matter of fact, Beth found she opted to watch over Carl and Sophia more and more lately. The age difference was hard to get past, but she found it easy to talk to them. Sometimes she wondered if that was how Daryl felt with her. She wasn't an idiot. She knew she was a lot younger than him. It just never stuck out as a huge problem for her, like she knew it probably would for a lot of other people in the group. But, as long as Daryl, Maggie and Hershel were happy, then she really didn't care what everyone else thought. All that mattered to her were those three people. Well, Carl and Sophia mattered a lot to her as well, but they didn't really pay much attention to adult affairs. They found starting mud fights in the rain yesterday was more fun than caring about whether or not they got sick. Thankfully, they had gotten into dry clothes quick enough to avoid anything more dangerous than a stuffy nose.

Beth decided to let her thoughts disappear, and instead listened to everyone's cheerful conversation. It was nice to have a completely uneventful day. About the only pressing thing that happened was Maggie and Glenn sneaking off together to have some much needed alone time. Of course Maggie hadn't flat out said that they had. She didn't have to say anything for Beth to get what they had done together. She strongly suspected that it wasn't their first time either. Now all that was left was for Hershel to find out about it. Beth wondered which one of them he'd discover first. She hope sincerely it was Maggie because as far as she was concerned, Maggie and Glenn were not discreet about it at all.

"Glenn, what the hell are ya doin' under the table?" snapped Daryl.

"N-nothing," he shot back before glancing over at Maggie.

"If ya gonna play footsie, least ya could do is get the right damn leg!"

"Maybe he did get the right leg," stated Rick with a large grin, something he hadn't expressed in a long while.

"Don't ever imply that again," Daryl said sternly as he kicked Glenn in the shin.

"Owe," he uttered. "Don't be that way, Daryl. I thought what we had was special."

"You better not even go there," chuckled Rick as he tried to move the utensils out of Daryl's reach.

Daryl shook his head. "Ya'll are gonna send me to an early grave."

"At least you'll go with a smile on your face!" chimed Glenn.

"More like a permanent scowl," added Maggie with a smile of her own.

Their little banter went on for the rest of dinner, making Beth inwardly groan for Daryl's sake. She was left to wonder if maybe Maggie was intentionally making life just a little harder on Daryl because of what Beth had told her. Either way, he didn't seem too bothered by their humor. As a matter of fact, she could have sworn she saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. It wasn't easy for anyone to see, but she could. After all, she knew her Daryl's bark was worse than his bite.

* * *

Before I get into the chapter, I must discuss a few other things! First things first, if you'd like to have updates on what I'm doing, I'll be posting every now and then on my profile. It'll basically be updates on what I'm working on next, or how my current story is going. I might say other random tidbits as well. Just go to my profile every now and then to get the dish on what I have to say. The other thing I wanna discuss is the newest episode. I only talked about the new episode of the week once, and that was mostly because it was the premiere. This episode was very special, though. We finally got to see Beth, and boy was it crazy! Like before, I won't say anything more about it here. I'll just say that I thought it was perfect for Beth's character, and everyone that thought it was boring obviously doesn't understand her character. She's not like Rick, Daryl or Carol. She doesn't need explosions to prove her strength. Her strength isn't in her muscles, it's in her brain and will to survive. As long as you have the will, you'll always have the strength! Anyway, after all that, I really don't think there's much more I need to say. This chapter is basically fluffy goodness to offset all the feels I've been having from this season. It's already pretty tough to watch. This is gonna be a hard season, guys.

R.I.P Bob!


	21. The Bullet

"Its been a few days," began Glenn as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "Maybe he's forgotten about us."

"Or maybe he's just waitin' for an opportunity," stated Daryl coldly.

"We've looked and double looked," Glenn shot as he turned to Daryl. "We haven't found the Governor anywhere."

"Don't mean nothin'."

"I'm with Daryl on this," interjected Rick. "We can't let our guard down until we've taken care of him."

"Then we'll never be able to let ourselves rest," muttered Glenn as he turned around in his seat to face Rick. "Don't you think we have more important things to think about?"

"Like what?" questioned Rick, his serious persona in place.

Glenn stared at him with uncertainty before glancing to Maggie at his side. It had been a week since they discovered the prison and made it home. It had been a few days since Glenn had proposed to Maggie. It hadn't been very long when she had told Beth. When he glanced in Beth's direction, she had that knowing grin on her lips. It faded when Hershel sat down next to her. He wanted to tell Hershel before telling everyone else what Maggie and him had decided to do. It was only right that he knew first. Maggie had wanted to tell him the same day she told Beth, but he had convinced her to let him do the honors. He hadn't quite managed to get it off his chest yet. Instead, he'd been spending the time trying to get to know Hershel a little better.

He cleared his throat and looked back to Rick. "Just this place. This is our home now. We should focus on making it one."

Rick nodded. "Of course. That isn't really a matter of discussion. But, we need to keep our eyes open at all times for any sign of that man."

"I'd rather we just forget about him," piped Carl with a sour look on his face. A look that said he had seen too much at a young age.

Everyone turned their eyes on the boy. Rick released a sigh as he stared at his son. He had tried talking to him the night before about the events of Woodbury, but Carl had been distant about it then as well. He didn't want to talk about Lori or anyone else that had died. He didn't want to talk about what happened with the Governor when he and Beth were being held hostage by him. Hell, he didn't even want to look Rick in the eye. Things weren't the same between them anymore, and Rick didn't know how to make it better. Being surrounded by everyone in the group right now wasn't helping either. This meeting in general was just a waste of time. They weren't getting anywhere because everyone had a different opinion about the matter. Like Carl and Glenn, a few people just wanted to forget about him and move on. It seemed that only Daryl and himself cared about whether or not the Governor was stopped. The only other person that agreed was Tyreese.

"Let's just call this over," announced Rick as he pushed himself to his feet. "Daryl, it's up to you if ya wanna keep lookin'. For now, we'll let the subject drop."

"Your call," stated Daryl with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah," added Glenn as he took another glance at Maggie.

After Glenn added his last word, everyone began to transition into conversation about random things. Carol was talking to Karen, Sasha and Beth about what to make for dinner tonight. A few of the guys began talking about guard duty, Andrea and Maggie sneaking their way into the conversation. Sophia and Carl decided to go play another game of cards, soon being joined by Dale and Hershel. Neither one really had much to do, given their age and Hershel's missing leg. Of course neither one ever let anyone else tell them what to do. If they felt like doing heavy lifting, they did heavy lifting. Despite their rather kind disposition, Dale and Hershel spoke their minds and never took anyone's crap.

Everything seemed well. Rick was even starting to feel a bit at ease. He wasn't about to let his guard down completely, though. He had let himself be fooled by the pretty fences of the estate. He was completely with Daryl on the fact that they couldn't rest yet. It was as if they were on the same wave length a lot lately. As soon as they glanced each other's away across the crowd, Daryl knew what was on his mind and vice versa.

It didn't take him long to move over to Rick's side. For a moment they stood in silence, just watching everyone's carefree conversation. Rick's eyes were all over the place, but he usually came back to Carl. Daryl's eyes, on the other hand, were for only one person in the room. When Rick glanced at him, he quickly looked away from the perky blonde.

"I guess the people want what the people want," Rick stated calmly, his voice on the edge of exhaustion.

"Sometimes people don't know what's good for em'," he began as he spared only a side glance his way. "Sometimes the leader has ta make the hard decisions."

"Sometimes," he replied slowly. "Sometimes the leader just needs a break."

"Ain't no coffee breaks in hell."

Rick raised a brow at him. "You always have such a way with words."

Daryl shrugged his shoulders before turning on his heel and walking outside. Rick watched his retreating back and wondered if maybe he was right. Sometimes people didn't always know what they needed. They knew what they wanted, that's for sure. Wants and needs are two completely different things, though. And until further notice, Rick was the only one making the tough decisions. It was moments like these when he missed Shane. He was still out there, as far as he knew. Maybe he'd be able to tell everyone that no matter how hard they wished, they'd never be safe...

* * *

The light breeze against his exposed arms felt better than the stuffy air of the prison. Daryl found he retreated rather quickly to the outside world whenever he needed to think. He was more of an outdoorsy kind of guy anyways. He enjoyed the smells of the woods and the blazing sun. Of course it was just now starting to rise over the top of the woods that stretched before the prison, making the temperature not quite as blistering as it normally would be. It wouldn't be long before Winter began creeping up on them, so he was happy for the heat. Finding more clothes was more painful than shedding a couple to deal with the sun.

The meeting was still fresh in his mind as he walked up to the fence. A Walker rammed its face against the fence, trying in vein to get at him. He pulled his knife from the sheath at his hip and thrust it into its skull. It fell limply against the fence, but he continued on down the line.

Of course this place was much better than the estate. He had instantly hated the idea of everyone being far away from each other, even though he liked the idea at the same time. He just knew that someone was bound to get into some kind of trouble and he wouldn't be there to stop it. Thinking about helping people now was much easier than it had been then. At the time, he really only did it because it was just something that needed to be done. He didn't particularly care if he did good or bad. Now that he had something more to think about, he cared what he did. He cared what happened to everyone. He cared about what happens to Beth.

"Hey you," chimed the voice of the very woman that had just been on his mind.

"Hey," he said as he turned his eyes in her direction, getting an eye full of her sweet smile.

"I haven't bugged you enough today," she announced as she wound her fingers into the fence and stared off into the distance.

"And here I thought I was gonna get a day off," he retorted, his eyes never leaving her face.

She glanced back at him with a look of amusement. He instantly didn't want to know what went through her brain, but sometimes it wasn't hard to read her.

"I suppose I'll let you take a break for today, old man," she teased.

"You're so kind," he muttered disdainfully.

Of course he knew she was playing with him, but sometimes their age difference kept him up at night. Especially the night she had cohorst him into spending the night in her cell. It was just the other night, actually. All he did was hold her until she fell asleep. He didn't mind doing just that much. He enjoyed the time he spent talking to her. He enjoyed when she'd steal a chaste kiss or two when he wasn't even trying to kiss her. Ever since they'd arrived here and she had kissed him that day in the fields, she'd been far too bold for her own good. But again, he certainly didn't mind it. What he did mind, however, was Maggie's looks.

He didn't doubt that Beth had told her a few things. She hadn't said much to him since that day she walked in on them having a "moment". All she did was look at him and grin. Sometimes she'd pass by and slip in a word about him and Beth. It was just harmless teasing, but he wasn't sure what would happen if Hershel somehow found out before Daryl was ready to say anything. He had slowly figured it out in his head what he felt for Beth. He knew he cared about her and wanted to take care of her. Wasn't that really all they needed right now? He had even told her as much that night she made him sleep in her cell. Of course she was half asleep, so he wasn't sure if she had even heard him. Maybe that was why he had chosen that moment to say it.

"What are you thinkin' about?" she asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. That was something else he enjoyed. Sometimes moments between them could be completely quiet and comfortable all at the same time. It gave him time to think, even though he hated when his thoughts twisted everything around.

"Nothin much."

"Liar."

Daryl sighed as he turned his body to face her. "Just the other night."

"The other night?" she repeated as her fingers laid loosely in the holes of the fence. She glanced around, not looking him in the eyes until the thought finally came to her. "You mean when I made you stay in my cell for the night? By the way, I can't say I won't try it tonight either."

Daryl shook his head at her. "I fully expect it."

"I'm glad we have an understanding," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Is that why you brought it up?"

"Not exactly."

"Then why?"

"'Cause."

"Daryl," she muttered as she pulled her fingers from the fence and crossed her arms.

Daryl's hand went to the back of his neck, and his eyes fell to the rising sun in the distance. "I was just wonderin' if you remember what I said."

"You mean the part where you said you have intimate feelings for me, but nothing too extreme yet?"

"That wasn't what I said," he replied sternly.

"Close enough," she added with a wave of her fingers. With her arms still crossed, it only allowed for the tips of her fingers to be seen.

Daryl let his hand drop to the fence. "Close enough, I guess," he mumbled before a Walker shoved its face against the fence. He quickly pulled his fingers back as it attempted to grab them with its mouth.

Beth let her arms fall to her side as she backed away from the fence and stared out at the dead woman that had interrupted their conversation. It hadn't become quite a problem yet, but Walkers were beginning to build up against the fences. As she watched them march toward them, she couldn't help but notice something glistening from the treeline when the sun catches upon it. She squints her eyes to try and make it out, but it was gone before she had a chance to really inspect it. Not that she could get much of a view from where they stood anyway.

"Hey?" questioned Daryl as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You ain't 'pose ta be the one gazin' off like that. That's my job."

Beth chuckles softly as she brings her eyes to meet his. "Sorry. Thought I saw somethin'."

"What was it?" he asked more seriously as he took his hand from her shoulder and gripped the strap of his crossbow, his other hand firmly on his knife still.

"I don't know," she began as she watched him shift so quickly from calm to hunter mode. "It was too far away. Maybe you can check it out later."

"Maybe I'll check it out now," he said as he moved toward the gate, the Walkers following him down the fence line.

Beth released a sigh of annoyance before running after him and grabbing him by his arm. "I'm not gonna stop you, but I just wanna ask you something."

Daryl came to a halt and turned around to face her. His eyes ran over the area, making sure there was no interruptions. He decided not to speak. Instead, he nodded his approval for her to go on.

"You also said you wanted to talk to my dad," she began wearily. "He's in a good mood today. Maybe after dinner..."

Daryl released a long sigh as her grip on his arm loosened. "I guess so. I just don't know what ta say."

"What you told me," she said as if it were the easiest thing to ever say.

"I don't know," he trailed off, putting his knife into its place back at his hip.

"Daryl," she chided as she put her hands on her hips.

Beth didn't say anything more. She gave him that look that always made him feel like he was a little kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Metaphorically speaking, he was definitely caught. Beth had managed to make him do things he never thought he'd ever do. Say things he didn't think he could ever say. Now he was about to tell Hershel how he felt about his young daughter. He wasn't sure it would go over well, but he knew it was what should happen if he ever expected to explore whatever this is he felt for Beth. If he wanted to understand it better, he needed to have a way to do that without everyone giving them weird looks.

In the end, he answered Beth with a kiss to the cheek. Feeling like he was married to her and about to head off to work, he quickly grabbed her forearm and gave it an affectionate squeeze. Beth smiled back at him, apparently understanding that he understood her. He then managed a small smile before making his way outside, killing a few Walkers on his way. Beth stood at the gate a moment longer, watching him fade into the trees and hoping like hell that what she saw earlier was her imagination. She wasn't stupid. She knew there was a threat out there, lying in wait to get them when they least expected it. What the Governor didn't know, however, was that they were always expecting him. Everyone wanted to start living their lives, but they never let his name die from their thoughts. They knew he was coming, and they were prepared to finish what they started.

* * *

Swiftly and soundlessly, Daryl plunged his knife into the back of a Walker's head. As it fell from his grip to the ground, he turned around to be greeted by nothing. He narrowed his eyes as his gaze traveled the foliage around him. Nothing was standing out to him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And yet, he felt as if someone was watching him. His hair stood on end on every inch of his body. He wasn't an expert at navigating his way around for nothing. With those skills came the keen sense of knowing whether or not there was more than just the presence of animals and dead guys. He could feel it in his bones. Something wasn't quite right.

He put his knife away and opted to using his crossbow. As soon as he strung it, a noise caught his attention. Most people wouldn't have even heard the sound of cracking leaves. If they had, they'd probably just write it off to normal noises you hear in the woods all the time. He knew better than that, though. He could tell it wasn't an animal or a Walker by the way it stomped its feet. Walkers usually shuffled around, and animals weren't nearly as loud when they moved around. Whoever it was was trying desperately to get his attention.

Crouching low, Daryl started toward the direction of the noise. It wasn't long before he heard the sound of footsteps following behind him, crunching leaves and twigs in their wake. If it wasn't obvious before that this person wanted his attention, then the way they were purposely stumbling around definitely got it. He immediately came to a halt and ducked behind the closet tree. He made sure to keep his movements quiet, hoping that whoever was following him would continue to do so without realizing he was hiding. He pressed his back against the tree and peered around either side until the noise grew close enough for him to determine the direction they'd be coming from.

It didn't take him long to figure out that the footsteps were coming from the right. He could automatically tell it was just one person. Since they seemed rather urgent and were following him relentlessly, he could only conclude that this person meant to do him harm. They weren't being chased by anything dead or alive. They were just simply chasing him. Anyone else probably would have been frightened by the fact they were basically being stalked, but not Daryl. He knew how to be calm in situations like this, despite the fact he could so easily lose his temper in other situations. For example, he had been rather gun ho when Martinez's men tried to take him hostage. Or at least he had been until he realized what was at stake. Getting himself killed was one thing, but he could never be able to live with himself if he had gotten anyone else hurt. If he had gotten Beth hurt.

Suddenly, the person following him appeared in his line of sight. He was relatively calm on the outside, but extremely angry on the inside. Maybe it had been because he was thinking about him just now, and how he had threaten to hurt the only person he cared for more than himself in this world. Either way, if Martinez was standing before him right now, then that meant the Governor wasn't too far behind.

_"Gonna finish this bullshit,"_ he thought as he quickly rotated himself around the tree and aimed directly for Martinez's head. He was still crouched low, but Martinez turned at the sound of the leaves crunching under his feet. He quickly put his hands up in surrender at the sight of the arrow staring him down.

"Wait!" he shouted. "Don't shoot."

"Give me a reason."

Martinez took a moment to ponder, his eyes darting around. "I-I came here in peace."

"And I came here to hold hands and chant Kumbaya. Give me a break," he spat.

"The Governor doesn't even know I'm here!" he said as he locked eyes with Daryl, only seeing a cold void staring back at him. "I don't even have any weapons on me. You can look, if you want."

"You'd probably like that," he muttered as he slowly rose to his feet and approached him. He looked him over and saw nothing was out in the open. He then did a quick pat down of his chest, back and legs. "Alright."

"Then I pass the Dixon seal of approval?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"What the fuck do you want?"

Martinez slowly lowered his arms to his side. "To help you."

"We don't need your help. Doubt Rick would want it anyway."

"The Governor is recruiting more people," he explained. "You definitely need my help."

Daryl slowly lowered his crossbow, his interest peeked. "Recruiting more people? How?"

"He's using the estate. There was already some people there."

"Then they're damn lucky fools ta not have been discovered before," he muttered.

"They're lucky fools that are going to help kill you."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because!" he shouted defensively. "Because...the Governor isn't the man I thought he was."

Daryl didn't respond. He shrugged his shoulders, his eyes never once leaving Martinez's face. He didn't trust him one bit. The way his eyes kept darting around was a dead giveaway. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen. Daryl didn't want to know what the something was. Instead, he reached for his knife and gripped the handle tightly. He wasn't going to bring this bastard back to his home, his family. Back to where Beth was. He was going to handle this now and never let Rick know otherwise. No one needed to know about Martinez being here. If he just so happened to have been telling the truth about the Governor's plan, then he'd kick himself for it later. He just couldn't take any chances now.

Before he pulled the knife from its holder, two gunshots resounded through the air. Daryl was completely stunned as he watched Martinez fall to the ground, a bullet firmly implanted between his eyes. He wanted to look around and see who had shot him, but then he remembered there was a second shot. His eyes slowly fell down as he released his crossbow and his hands came up to grip his shirt. Fresh blood stained his hands, and he vaguely wondered if it was Martinez's blood. The thought disappeared quickly, though. He soon found himself falling to his knees and gripping his chest in vein. He was certain he hadn't been shot in the heart. He'd probably be dead the instant he was. However, he knew for a fact that he had been shot because it hurt like hell and was getting harder to breathe every second he tried to.

Suddenly, his face hit the ground and his vision struggled to keep everything from blurring out of existence. Merle ran through his mind briefly before Beth's face appeared in his thoughts. He wanted to focus solely on her and the prison. He needed to get back before he completely lost the ability to move or think. He attempted to crawl across the ground, but he couldn't remember the way he had come. Was it left? No, maybe it was right. Everything began mixing together until something odd filled his vision. A pair of brown boots came into his sight. Suddenly, the owner leaned down and smiled at him charmingly. He couldn't forget that smile even if he tried.

"Sorry about this, Daryl. You see, Merle's already dead. Can't very well kill him again," the Governor chimed with a chuckle. "Unfortunately, that only leaves you to pay the price. You should feel lucky. At least now you won't see me kill everyone you love. Maggie, Rick, Carl...Beth."

Daryl's eyes almost shot open when he said her name. He growled low in his throat, but he just couldn't say or do anything else. Once again, the Governor chuckled and gave him that annoyingly charming grin.

"I'll tell them you died with honor," he said as he pushed himself up straight. "It's a good thing you were so paranoid about Martinez. If he had made it inside, things would have been a lot worse."

"B-bastard," Daryl managed to utter as he rolled over onto his back. However, it didn't make anything less painful. The world was spinning away, and soon the Governor's voice faded from his ears. It wasn't long before everything went black. The most annoying thing about it was having the Governor's stupid grin and head splitting laugh be the last thing Daryl would remember of this world.

* * *

*hides all the dangerous weapons*

Before I get into this chapter, I have something to point your attention! I changed the description of the story because honestly, that's the only point that guest made I did agree with. You'd think someone that could write over 4,000 words of fiction could manage a good title and description! Nope. I can not. Anyway, enough delaying the inevitable. Let's talk about the chapter. This was actually something I planned at the last minute! I started writing the chapter and was like, "I want the Governor to come back at some point in this and start up some more drama. How to do that? Oh, I know! Shoot Daryl!" Just remember that Daryl Dixon is made of steel!


	22. The End

**Warning: This chapter contains excessive amounts of bad ass Beth!**

The growling Walker was beginning to get on Beth's nerves. The damned thing was ramming its face into the fence repeatedly, trying in vein to get its bony hands through the fence. There was no more flesh on the dead man's hand. It could easily slip its hands inside if it had enough sense to do so. Getting tired of its constant groaning, Beth pulled a combat knife from her belt and shoved it between its eyes.

It was never really easy for her to kill Walkers. She had only killed a few so far during their stay at the prison, and it was behind the safety of the fences. In some ways, that made it even harder. She had to look into their dead eyes before they fell limply to the ground.

She watched as the dead man she had just killed fall backwards. It felt as if everything around her was going in slow motion. Her mind was running a million miles a minute with thoughts about the dead and Daryl. He'd been gone for far too long now. She knew he never took more than half an hour to do a routine sweep around the woods that surrounded the prison. A deep sense of woe was beginning to set in her stomach, and she absolutely hated it.

"Bethie?" called Maggie softly as she stepped to her side. "Watching the trees isn't going to make him come back any faster."

"He's been gone for an hour, Maggie."

"I know you're concerned, but this is Daryl," she stated confidently as a grin spread across her lips. "The man carried you for miles out of Woodbury and into the woods with only Carl as his back up."

Beth slowly turned her eyes to Maggie, a sad smile on her face. "He won't show it, but sometimes his side hurts," she explained softly. "I see it whenever he does too much. It's almost healed now. The scar the Governor left when he cut him protecting me."

Maggie stared back at her sad expression before releasing a long sigh. She turned around and pressed her back against the fence. Her eyes slowly rose upward to stare upon the cloudy, morning sky. It was far too early in the morning to be worrying about bad things happening. After everything that had happened to Beth, Maggie certainly didn't want her worrying anymore. She wanted everything to be somewhat more normal for her. She knew that that was wishful thinking, but maybe she could have something in the prison. She could have a relationship with Daryl. Maybe she could even have a family some day. Anything was possible if you tried hard enough, right?

"Let's go," she muttered as she pushed herself from the fence and grabbed Beth by the wrist.

"W-what? Where?"

"To get a sheath for your knife, and some weapons for me."

Beth raised a brow at her. "Why?"

"Can't go looking for your man without some weapons in case of trouble," she chimed as she glanced back at her over her shoulder. She wasted no time in making her way toward the prison with Beth in tow.

A smile slowly spread across her face before she wrapped her fingers around Maggie's wrist in return. "It's a good thing I don't mind you referring to him as that. Just don't say it in front of him."

"Psh," she huffed as she turned away. "Bet he'd love to call you his woman."

"Maggie," she whined as her face flushed slightly.

"Don't be so embarrassed!" she teased as she pulled Beth to walk beside her. "One of these days we'll be talking about our sex lives."

"Oh no," she uttered, trying in vein to cover the red tint on her cheeks.

Maggie couldn't help but chuckle like a person that had just taken a hand full of happy pills. Her laughter faded before they entered the prison and quietly gathered what they came to get. Once Beth's knife was safely tucked into a sheath, Maggie pondered upon where she found it and why she didn't have something to store it in. Beth could only reply with a grin. Daryl had found it for her while on his last outing. He had told her that the angel wings depicted on the handle reminded him of her, which then prompted her to ask if he thought of her as an angel. Of course he neither confirmed nor denied it, which could only mean he probably had thoughts about it. Either way, she treasured it all the same. It was the first gift he had ever given to her, and she had found more use in it than she ever would a stuffed animal or jewelry. As nice as those things were in the old world, flights of fancy like that had no place in the new one she lived in now.

After gathering together a knife of her own and her gun, Maggie hastily led them back outside. Neither one said anything else. There wasn't anything they really could say. It felt like the days when it was just them, alone in that cabin in the woods. It had been tiring and nerve wrecking, but it had also been an experience. It had been when Beth killed her first Walker, only to almost kill herself afterwards. Maggie still didn't know anything about her suicide attempt. She wondered if maybe things would have turned out differently if Maggie had been there. She'd probably have been the one to kill the Walker, and Beth would probably had never thought about it. She couldn't attempt it. In the end, she just cried. She cried for her weakness. She cried for the poor souls that would never rest. She cried for the rest of the world that was still living in this nightmare. And maybe, she had also cried for Hershel, and the thought of never seeing him again.

Suddenly, a gunshot in the distance drew Beth from her thoughts. Maggie and Beth had just made it to the treeline. They stopped in their tracks as another shot resounded through the trees.

"Daryl doesn't have a gun," whispered Beth as her hand fell to the hilt of her knife and gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Maggie glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't reply, knowing full well that nothing she said would make this situation any better. Instead, she gestured for her baby sister to follow her. With a nod of her head, she was quickly in step behind her. Again, this felt all too familiar. Trekking through the woods in the same fashion they had the first night they had escaped the farm. Maggie had been steady, and had taken the lead effortlessly. Beth had been uncertain about everything and followed so willingly. But now, Beth was finding her steps had more purpose now than they did then. She was more like her sister than she ever thought she'd be. They were both very certain of where they were going and what they needed to do, walking with sheer confidence. It's funny how things had changed in a matter of weeks.

As the foliage got denser, the silence between them got quieter. It almost seemed as if they were afraid to even breathe, thinking the smallest noise would overwhelm anything important that would point them to where they needed to go. The only sounds around them were the sounds of birds chirping in the trees, going about their lives as if nothing was any different. Beth usually liked the sing-song sound of birds. Today, however, she wanted to throw a rock at them.

Their ears were soon assaulted by the sound of groaning. Walkers were usually the first thing that came to their minds whenever they heard groaning, so they crouched low and approached with caution. Beth stayed on Maggie's heels, but not so close that it would obstruct her ability to fight. Once they were closer to the groaning, they drew their knives and crawled into an overgrown hedge.

"Owe," muttered Beth as a thorn pricked her arm. "Great hiding place."

"Shh," whispered Maggie with narrowed eyes. She didn't say anymore. The rest of her speech was gestures with her hands. She gestured for her to remain quiet by putting a finger to her lips. When Beth rolled her eyes, she gestured for her to stop complaining by pinching her arm. Beth didn't say anything more after that. She didn't even react to the slight pain from the pinch. She focused solely on Maggie's gestures, telling her to wait for a signal before they would strike. The Walker seemed to be staying still, but they both knew it was just on the other side of the hedge they were snugly hidden in.

Maggie held up three fingers, counting off to one before gesturing for them to pounce. As soon as Maggie lowered her last finger, they darted out of the hedge at the same time with their knives held high. However, Beth managed to get her foot tangled in a vine, causing her to fall forward. Maggie, on the other hand, maintained her stance. She stepped in front of Beth as her knife fell from her hand, ready to take down any amount of dead men that dared to mess with her. However, what they saw wasn't what they were expecting. Lying on the ground wasn't half of a dead man, crawling around and searching for anything to nibble on. It was a very much alive man, breathing and gasping in vein to try and stay alive. When Beth glanced up from the ground to see why Maggie hadn't started swinging, her eyes widen in horror.

"Daryl," she uttered as she pushed herself onto all fours. She quickly grabbed her knife and placed it back in its sheath before crawling her way over to his side.

Maggie sighed in exasperation as Beth crawled between her legs, since she had chosen to stand practically over Beth to defend her. "Is he..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Beth quickly put her fingers to his neck. "He's barely got a pulse, but he's okay."

Maggie slowly moved to stand behind her sister. She watched as she wrapped her hands around Daryl's face, and wondered if maybe she was about to attempt CPR. Instead, she just held his face between her hands, a sad look in her eyes and a frown on her lips. A single tear fell from the corner of her eye. Maggie quickly knelt beside her and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. It wasn't long before more tears began to stain her cheeks.

"He's not gone, Bethie," she said softly. "We have to get him back to the prison."

"No," she said as her face slowly turned from sad to anger. "I know he's not gone. I'm not sad. I'm pissed because I know who did this, and I want him to pay."

"Beth," she began wearily.

Beth turned her eyes toward her sister, no remorse of what she said reflecting in her tear swollen iris'. "I mean it," she replied in a firm tone. "I don't want to kill him. I want to lock him away forever. Just like we use to. He deserves to be in prison. He deserves to live forever, watching the world around him become a better place and knowing he'll never get to live in it again."

"I don't think anyone else would care for that idea," Maggie explained as she pulled away and gently grabbed one of Daryl's arms.

Realizing that Maggie intended to carry Daryl back, Beth pulled her hands from his face, wiped her tears away, and then grabbed his other arm. The two of them slung the arm they held over their shoulders, huffing as they heaved him to his feet between them. He stood as if he were drunk and they were helping him stand up right. His head sagged forward and Beth glanced over the back toward her sister. It was that moment that she realized something was missing. Her eyes darted around until she finally saw what she was seeking. She moved toward the crossbow, dragging Maggie with her.

"Beth, don't be so quick," she snapped as she watched her bend her knees and stretch her arm to scoop up the crossbow.

"We can't leave this behind. Daryl would have a fit," she stated as she struggled to pull the strap over her shoulder. "This thing weighs a ton."

"You shouldn't talk that way about your boyfriend," Maggie teased in a sing-song tone.

Beth shot her a glare as she stood to her feet. She decided to go the Daryl route and not respond. Although, that normally meant that whatever was being said was both true and something that he didn't want to talk about right now. A blush crept onto her face, but she tried to hide it by turning her face into Daryl's arm. The two of them were on their way now, moving as quick as two people dragging an unconscious man through a forest could move. Beth should have been more concerned by their pace, but she just couldn't see this being something Daryl would let affect him. He'd probably be more annoyed by her concern than anything else. It made her want to smile at the fact she knew him well enough now to just guess how he'd react.

There were no more words between the sisters. They walked in quiet certainty, knowing that Daryl was slowly teetering between life and death. Beth knew he hadn't lost too much blood, but she also knew the bullet was still inside his chest. She only hoped he didn't lose anymore, and that they had enough supplies for Hershel or Chris to use to operate. However, by time they reached the edge of the woods, what they saw made them quickly duck back behind the trees.

"I thought all of the people of Woodbury ran for the hills," muttered Maggie as she peered around the side of the tree.

"Maybe they came back because of their undying loyalty to the Governor."

"Or maybe he found more idiots to follow him."

"It doesn't matter," Beth replied sharply. "No one in the prison even knows they're here. They're too far away and everyone is inside."

"And they don't know we're here," Maggie added with a side grin.

"You can't be serious..."

"Beth," began Maggie as she slowly lowered herself to the ground with Daryl, causing Beth to follow her movement. "I've never said a single word I never meant. I don't say anything unless I mean it."

Beth gently leaned Daryl back against the tree, her hand lingering behind his hand. "I can't help you. I can't fight like you...or kill people," she added softly as she let Daryl's crossbow fall from her shoulder. She then gently placed it at his side.

"I didn't think I could either," she said as she began burying Daryl under a pile of leaves. "But I did. I helped unleash those Walkers on Woodbury, making me just as responsible for the people that died there. I didn't blink an eye when I did it either. I knew that you needed me and I didn't know those people. I didn't care if they died."

Beth stared back into her eyes with a mix of confusion and fear. She was mostly just confused by Maggie piling leaves and twigs on Daryl, but it was hardly an issue compared to the words leaving her mouth. She wasn't sure what to really think about it. She thought killing Walkers was pretty hard, but she had done it now. She had jumped out from that hedge by Maggie's side a moment ago, ready to shove her knife through a head of a dead man or woman. She hadn't thought about it at then. She normally thought about it for a while as she watched the life fade from their eyes from behind the fence. But at that moment, she hadn't thought at all. She had been acting completely on instinct.

"Hopefully these leaves will cover him enough from people that may pass by," she said as she gently pulled Beth's hands away from his head and laid Daryl down with his head on the root of the tree. "As for Walkers...well, maybe all those weird smells he has will keep them at bay."

Beth shook her head as she stared down at Daryl's face, that being the only thing visible now. Maybe Maggie was right. If she thought about all the people she loved, she'd be able to kill the strangers trying to hurt them. Sophia, Carl, Rick, Dale, Andrea and so many others were inside, completely unaware of the danger awaiting them. She got away from the Governor all by herself before. Of course she'd barely gotten away alive, but she had managed to get Carl out without a scratch. As long as she thought about protecting everyone else, maybe she could kill them. After all, she wouldn't be doing it alone this time.

"Okay," she whispered.

Maggie pushed herself to her feet, wiping her hands on the side of her jeans. "Okay then. Let's kick some ass, baby sister."

"I'm not a baby," chided Beth as she stood to her feet and pulled her knife from her sheath.

A smile spread across Maggie's lips. "You're right. You're not a baby. You're my partner in crime."

"Then let's do this, Thelma."

"I think you should be Thelma. After all, she is married to a man named Darryl," she added with a wicked grin.

"Remind me to never share secrets with you ever again," mumbled Beth as she passed by her quickly, a hint of a blush on her cheeks again. Or maybe it hadn't disappeared since earlier when she blushed. Either way, Maggie didn't fail to notice it. However, she decided to leave the conversation at that. Time was of the essence now. They needed to be quick, and they needed to be quiet. They had to be patient on top of all that, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Maggie took the lead. She gazed at the tiny formation that surrounded a grinning Governor. He had managed to get at least ten men on his side, along with a few vehicles. Maggie chanced a glance at her side where Beth clung to her, peering around her at the throng. They knew the odds were against them, but they were always against them. The two sisters quickly discussed a plan of action. Maggie had her gun, which they would use to get their attention. Of course that also meant getting unwanted attention from the dead, but that would only help their favors. They just needed to find a way to scatter those men in the trees. They could then use the woods to their advantage. It wasn't the woods outside their farm that they had grew up around, but it was the same kind of structure. They knew how to maneuver well enough, and those men looked like the only thing they knew how to maneuver were their guns. Each one was totting something large and powerful, no doubt to compensate for something.

"Get up high," Maggie instructed as she started rummaging through her jean pockets. "I also have a small firecracker left over from the gas station. You use the gun to draw their attention one way, while I use the firecracker to draw them elsewhere."

"Okay," Beth said quickly as she held out her hand. Maggie placed the handle in her palm. Before she turned to leave, Maggie quickly drew her into a hug.

"I got your back as long as you got mine, Thelma."

Beth chuckled softly. "Always, Louise."

After a moment longer, Beth was the first to break away. She gave a nod to her before turning on her heel and searching the trees for the perfect one to climb. Maggie knew the plan meant they'd have to handle these guys one on one by themselves, but she had faith her sister could do it. As long as she was sneaky and went for the kill, she could handle it.

Once Beth began climbing a tree, Maggie ran off into the woods. She wanted as much distance between her and Beth as possible. She could hear vicious growls from ahead and knew that she was tempting fate. However, she had to use what she had, and Walkers were in full supply. She quickly grabbed onto a branch hanging low, and used it to hoist herself up. She didn't need to be very high. She just needed enough height to give her the perfect advantage.

Once she was in place, she strained her ears to listen for Beth's signal. All she needed was one gunshot. The growls of the nearby Walkers were getting closer and began obstructing her hearing. She closed her eyes and focused solely on the distance, ticking off the seconds in her head. One. Two. Growl. Three. Four. Moaning. Five. Six. Gunshot.

Her eyes shot open as soon as she heard the distinctive sound in the distance. She quickly rummaged through her pocket, pulling out a box of matches that she had also saved from the gas station. Her hands fumbled as she tried lighting it quickly. It took two matches before she finally got it lit. As soon as the fuse began burning, she threw it into the distance and placed her hands over her ears. It wasn't very far away from where she sat, giving her the perfect view of stumbling Walkers as they went off to check the noise. Now all that was left to do was wait. Of course that also meant thinking. She had to think about the possibilities that this wouldn't work, and that Beth would be in great danger. She didn't even want to ponder what they'd do to her if they caught her. She also didn't want to think about the fact Daryl was hanging on by a thread. But, there was nothing else they could do. It was either stand up and fight, or run away and try to do what they could to save Daryl on their own. There were too many things that could go wrong and besides, she wasn't about to abandon her father and Glenn. Her future was in that prison and she'd be damned if she let the Governor win.

As she sat back and waited, Beth was going through much of the same thought process. However, Maggie could control her nerves on the outside. Beth was finding it hard to breathe correctly, causing her to feel slightly lightheaded. She quickly shook her head and said, "we all got jobs to do." She decided that she needed to focus on that. If she focused on Daryl or Maggie, she wouldn't be able to do what needed to be done. She'd screw up and put not only herself at risk, but the entire damn prison. Everything was literally on her shoulders. Well, half it was on Maggie's as well, but Maggie wasn't going to screw up.

From where Beth sat, she had the perfect view of the Governor's men. After she calmed herself down, she saw them talking hurriedly with each other before they split off into groups. Five went in Maggie's direction, and the other five started in her direction. The Governor stayed in place, keeping a watchful eye on the prison fences beyond. Maybe if Beth were more confident in her aiming, she'd have taken a shot at him right then and there. However, using a knife was something she had just now gotten the hang of.

"Alright," she said gently to herself as she slowly climbed down to a lower branch. "Deep breath and a leap of faith."

Beth waited patiently, staring at the ground below. Suddenly, someone emerged from behind a large bush. She glanced in another direction and saw the other men grouped together, guns cocked and ready to blow someone's head off. She narrowed her eyes and zeroed in on the man that was now below her tree branch. Releasing a puff of air, she gripped her knife tight before taking that leap of faith and jumping onto his back like a monkey. She quickly shoved her knife into the back of his head, hoping that his grunt of surprise hadn't been too loud. Once her knife was implanted in his skull, he instantly became quieter. It wasn't long before gravity took them both to the ground, causing her to grunt as soon as she hit. Of course most of the impact was on the big guy she was on top of now. She quickly pushed herself to her feet and dragged the man into the nearest bush, grunting and huffing all the way.

"What's taking that bastard so long?" came one of the other men, causing Beth to crouch down next to the body. It wasn't long before the man that had spoke was following in his buddy's footsteps. However, instead of jumping on him like a monkey, Beth grabbed his feet when he passed by, and pulled him onto his back on the ground. She then pounced while he was confused, shoving her knife into his face. She didn't know where she was aiming. She didn't really care. Just as long as she killed him before he started to fight back.

Blood rushed from his mouth and she cringed at the sight below her. She had rammed it straight through his eye. She found herself reminiscing back to what she had done to the Governor. She hoped that this was the man he found first when he came looking.

Once she pried her knife from his eye socket, she pulled him into the bushes next to the other man. Her adrenaline was pumping full force, making her feel as if the world was spinning. She felt that if she stopped moving, she'd collapse. So, she quickly moved to a tree and peered around at the remaining men. She patiently waited as they began splitting up like the idiots they were. One by one, she followed after them. She came up behind them and slit their throats quickly. It seemed like it was all happening much faster than it really was. When she finally got to the last guy, she was starting to feel it catch up to her. She put her hand to her gunshot wound and sighed, hoping like hell that it wasn't reopening.

After running her hand over her flesh, she released a sigh. "No," she uttered softly "It's fine."

As soon as the last syllable slipped from her lips, a gun was pressed firmly into the temple of her forehead from behind. "You're not going to be fine much longer."

Beth's breath hitched in her throat as his voice resounded in her ear. She couldn't speak. Her body had decided to choose that moment to shut down. After letting the blood pump through her veins so fast while chasing those men around and sneaking up on them, it was no wonder her heart hadn't give way yet.

"I greatly underestimated you. I imagine the other five men are dead now as well," he stated without any concern on the matter. As always, he sounded as if he were having a casual conversation, not like he was talking about the death of his men.

"I'm sorry," Beth whispered as she let the knife in her hand fall to the ground at her feet.

"Sorry that you destroyed everything I worked so hard to build?" he spat, grabbing her roughly by the collar of her shirt from behind and slamming her face first into a tree.

Her forehead was the first thing to come in contact, and her hand immediately went to her head to try and soothe the pain. She gently rubbed her forehead as she turned to face the Governor, his gun directly pointed at her face.

"I should kill you now," he began calmly. "However, I think killing you in front of everyone in the prison would be more suitable."

"They'll kill you. Even if you get me first, they'll still manage to get you."

"I don't care. I have nothing else to live for. At least I'll take you with me."

Beth shook her head slowly. "I'm not sorry for what I did to you," she began, using the same calm and unsettling tone he was throwing around all the time. She almost felt like grinning when she saw the shocked look on his face from her tone. Or maybe it was from her words...

"I already said sorry for that. I said it right before I injected you," she said as she reached her hand out and grabbed the barrel of the gun. "I'm sorry now because you'll never understand what it's like to have something to die for!"

The Governor's expression instantly changed from shocked to annoyed. He then pressed the gun to her forehead, his finger only inches from the trigger and her hand still planted on the barrel. Just as he was about to apply pressure, Beth closed her eyes and tried hard to remember everything and everyone she loved. Her father. Maggie. Sophia. Carl. Carol. Daryl. She loved them all. She loved them like family. All except for Daryl. Daryl was more than that, and she wished she had told him as much. To hell with his uncertainty about his feelings. She had known the moment he said he'd tell her father that she loved him. She loved him more than she had ever thought possible. Now she only hoped Maggie could get him back to Hershel before it was too late.

As she waited for a white light to show her the way to the afterlife and her family that was already there, something strange happened. She didn't hear the gunshot, or feel her life slip away. As a matter of fact, she didn't feel the cold metal of the barrel against her forehead anymore. She slowly opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of the arrow sticking through the Governor's neck, his blood splattered upon her face and neck. She quickly tighten her grip on the gun and turned it on him. She placed it under his chin and used his own finger to pull the trigger.

The gunshot echoed throughout the air and just like that, the Governor fell to his knees dead. Once he was no longer in her view, Beth's eyes finally fell upon the reason she was alive. Daryl was leaning against a tree, crossbow in both hands and knees shaking uncontrollably as he tried to keep himself standing. Beth took a step toward him, and he fell to his knees. As soon as he hit the ground, she started to sprint to his side. She caught him in her arms as best she could, keeping him upright. He groaned before glancing to her at his side.

"Ain't nobody gonna touch my girl while I'm still alive," he muttered softly before his eyes shut and he fell unconscious once more.

* * *

I have a confession! Do you all remember that scene in season 3 when Beth used that gun to silence everyone? It was at that moment that I said, "she's gonna be a crazy bitch! I can already see it." Of course I meant it in a good way. Then "Still" came along and we see her smiling crazily as she says, "let's burn it down!" Now that we have witnessed just how much she is done with the bullshit, I thought it was only fair to give her a bad ass chapter where she goes Assassin's Creed on everyone! I don't care if this whole idea is crazy! I don't care if I was at all OOC! I just do not care! Why do I not care? Because I fucking love this chapter and making Beth kick ass, Rambo style! Over the course of this story, I have been taking a lot of your ideas that you put in your reviews and incorporating them into the story in some way. A while back someone stated that they wanted Daryl to be the one to kill the Governor. Someone else wanted to see the Greene girls be all bad ass together. Therefore, this chapter was made! I love this chapter. I love bad ass Beth. You all should love this chapter as well. I will not accept any less! On a different note, I must also confess that I have never seen Thelma and Louise. I actually looked it up, and was very amused to discover Thelma was married to a man named Darryl. I thought that was absolutely perfect!


	23. The Beginning

The cool sensation on his forehead was the first thing he felt when he finally gained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't help but smile at Beth being the first face he saw. She didn't seem to notice he was awake, since she herself was dozed off at his side. Her head was snugly set upon her arms, and the edge of the bed was where she took up space. Slowly, he brought his hand to his forehead and touched the roughness of the rag that was still very damp. It hadn't been there long, which meant Beth hadn't been asleep for very long. He didn't want to wake her, but his movements deceived him. When he glanced back at her, she was sitting up and stretching her arms above her head as a yawn escaped her lips.

"Is it mornin?" he questioned, his voice hoarse and scratchy from lack of speaking.

"Yeah," she replied softly as she let her hands fall onto the edge of the bed. "You were asleep for a whole day."

"Really?" he asked wearily, attempting to push himself into a sitting position. Beth quickly placed a hand on his shoulder and held him back against the bed.

"You shouldn't move yet."

"I'm fine," he muttered as he gently pushed her hand away and sat up. A short pain shot through him, causing him to grit his teeth.

"I told-" she began, only to stop short when he shot a look her way. She couldn't help but grin in return.

Once he sat up, the covers fell down and exposed his bandaged, shirtless chest. He put a hand to the area where the bullet had went through before quickly pressing his back against the headboard. He glanced in Beth's direction, uncertain of how to read her expression. Had she seen the scars? It wasn't like he hadn't briefly spoke to her about his past before. And by brief, he meant all he had told her was that his father was something he didn't miss. It had started with him saying how great of a guy Hershel was, which then prompted her to ask about his father.

"Sorry," she uttered softly as she reached forward toward his forehead. He jerked slightly when he saw her hand coming toward his face. "Daryl?" she questioned. "I'm just changin' the rag."

"Right."

He tried to sound indifferent. He tried to play it off as if he hadn't just retracted from her touch. Out of everyone, Beth was one person he certainly didn't mind touching him. But, with his skin exposed like this, he started to feel self-conscious. It was so stupid for him to feel this way after all this time. After all, he wasn't some teenage girl about to lose her virginity. He was a grown ass man that had better things to think about than his past. There was nothing left of it now. His father was dead. His brother was dead. He was never going back to the house they use to live in. It was never really home anyway. That life was gone. He had a new life now. A life with Beth.

"'M sorry," he said as he watched her wet the rag in a bowl of water on the nightstand next to his bed. It was at that moment that he realized they weren't in the cell block, and he had just apologized for no reason for the second time.

"It's okay. You've been in that bed for a while. I don't expect ya to be a ray of sunshine," she said as she moved closer and pressed the cool rag to his forehead. "Although, you never really are."

"Nah," he began with his usual half smile. "That's your department."

"Best believe it, Dixon."

"Whoa, don't remember ya bein' this damn sassy."

"A lot of stuff happened between you leavin' that mornin' and me bringin' you back."

"That's right," he said solemnly. "I remember the Governor was here. He was attackin' ya. I shot him with an arrow...and then you..."

Beth's smile faded as she let her hand fall from his forehead, rag still in hand. "I killed five men. But, I had to. We had to protect the prison."

"We?"

Beth sat back against the chair and let the rag sit in her lap. It began leaving a damp spot in her jeans, but she paid it no mind as she told him everything. She told him how Maggie and her went looking for him when he didn't come back. She told him how she and Maggie found him, and that she had kind of lost her mind at that point. A grin spread across his lips when she said that, making her roll her eyes and comment on how he'll have such a big ego now.

She continued to explain how they came across the Governor and his men. Maggie had hid him under a pile of leaves before they split up. He become rather intrigued when she told him how they had used a gun and a small firecracker to lead them away. Beth then explained how she used stealth and the trees to ambush all five men and kill them quickly. She didn't know how Maggie had fared with the five that went her direction, but she came back okay. Beth assumed it all went better for her, because she didn't have to face off with the Governor.

Once Beth got to the part where the Governor held a gun to her face, Daryl took over. He remembered that much. He told her about what happened before then, and how it was the Governor that had shot him and Martinez. He told her how Martinez had came to him, telling him about the Governor's plan and how he wanted to help the prison. In the end, it was just a trap. It seemed Martinez was good with traps. He explained that the last thing he remembered was the Governor gloating, and then he woke up covered in leaves. He told her how he managed to get to his feet, only thinking of getting back to the prison. Of course he left out the part of how he just wanted to get back to her. Then he heard voices, one of which belonged to her. He knew that voice better than anything. He spent minutes of his day thinking of her sweet voice, playing it over and over in his mind. He did what his heart told him to do, and followed that voice. As long as Beth was at the end of the tunnel, he knew he be okay. Instead, he saw the Governor threatening her.

"Thank whatever God up there I loaded a bolt before I got shot," he muttered thoughtfully as he stared at the wall opposite of him, his head full of all the things that had been passing through his mind before he blacked out for a second time.

"Thank just the one," stated Hershel as as he hobbled into the room on a pair of crutches, a smile planted on his face.

"Hey," replied Daryl as he turned his full attention to the older man.

"You're looking much better today."

"Does my ass feelin' numb sound better ta ya?"

Hershel released a soft chuckle as Beth got to her feet to let him sit at Daryl's bedside. "That happens when you sit on it for a day. But, it's best if you don't do too much work anyway."

"Daddy, you don't know Daryl like I do. He'll do it anyway," mumbled Beth playfully, a mischievous grin on her rosy lips.

"No," retorted Hershel as he started unwrapping Daryl's bandage. "I suppose I don't know him as well as you do."

Daryl stared at him with a raised brow. He felt as if he had just walked in on a conversation that was half way through. He decided to remain quiet, only grunting a response whenever Hershel asked him a question. Neither Beth nor Hershel said anything else once Daryl refused to speak any longer. After Hershel changed his bandage and pushed himself to his feet to leave, Beth took the seat once again. She was now palming at the damp spot on her knee where the rag had been before, waiting for her father to leave the room. As soon as he was gone, she released a breath of air she hadn't noticed she was holding.

"I shouldn't have said that in front of my dad," she blurted out suddenly. "He's been askin' me a lot of questions about you."

"What kind of questions?"

"Mostly about how we met and what kind of person you are."

"And what kind of person am I?" he prompted as he leaned closer, causing Beth to lean back against the chair. He was messing with her now.

"A nice person," she stated firmly, her eyes locked onto his.

Daryl sighed and leaned back against the headboard once again, losing his momentary interest in teasing her. She merely smiled that big smile of hers, knowing full well what his intentions had been. A silence fell between them, but it was hardy awkward. It felt peaceful, especially when she started running the rag along his face. It became almost normal once she began humming a tune he didn't know. She didn't really know it either. It was something from the past. Maybe even a tune her mother had sung to her while she was in her crib. Either way, it felt sort of domestic. Beth felt like she really was Daryl's wife, caring for him after a long day of working hard. Of course thinking thoughts like that only made her blush.

"What else ya talk about?" Daryl finally asked, breaking their peaceful silence. She instantly felt grateful, as her thoughts disappeared and her blush faded.

"If there's somethin' in particular you wanna know, then just ask."

"I just need ta know if your dad thinks I'm a big perv or somethin'."

Beth stopped running the rag along his face. Her hand stopped on his cheek and her eyes locked with his. "Or somethin'. Yeah," she whispered as she pressed the rag a little harder against his cheek. The pressure felt nice to him, though.

"Yeah?" he repeated.

"I didn't tell him. You did," she added with that mischievous grin back in place.

"How the hell did I do that? I was unconscious, Beth." He didn't even try to hide the irritation in his voice.

"You and Glenn would make a pair," she stated as she stood to her feet. "You both talk in your sleep."

As she placed the rag in the bowl of water next to his bed, it took all he had not to stare at her in awe. Beth Greene was a lot of things to Daryl Dixon. She was feisty, she never backed down from a challenge, she always got her way, and she was far too happy with laughing at his expense. It was a good thing she was cute, though. Anyone else would have been drop-kicked to the floor for saying half the stuff she says to his face. Since it was Beth, she could say whatever she wanted and he wouldn't bat an eye. Maybe that's why he was slowly finding himself wanting to fall in love with her. And as each day passes, he was doing just that.

* * *

Daryl could already tell that it was going to be an extremely long week. Beth was taking Hershel's instructions beyond serious, keeping a watchful eye on him and checking in on him almost every minute. He wouldn't admit that he liked the attention, but he was starting to get a little annoyed by her constant concern. The only reason he managed to survive was because Beth hadn't mentioned his back once. He decided he wasn't going to bring it up either. Maybe she hadn't even seen them. Either way, it was nice to not deal with the kind of concern and empathy that came from seeing his scars. He didn't suspect Beth would be the type to care, especially since she told him not too long ago that the past didn't matter anymore. That was part of the reason why he decided to just leave it be. There was no point in continuing to cry over spilled milk. That milk had spoiled a long time ago anyway.

After Beth checked in on him at lunch, he decided he was tired of sitting on his ass, and pushed himself onto his feet for a walk. It didn't take him long to realize how much work the rest of the group had been doing while he was out of commission. He supposed Tyreese had a lot to do with the empty hallways he strode through on his way to Cell Block C from the infirmary.

Half way on his way to the block, he stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned on his heel. Beth's voice traveled down the hall as she walked, obviously on her way to his cell. He cursed himself as he tried to shuffle back. Being immobile for so long had made him a bit slower than normal. He quickly turned a corner and bumped straight into Maggie, causing him to grab his stomach and lean against the wall for support with his free hand.

"Daryl?" she questioned with a raise brow. "Ya do know Beth is on her way to see you, right? She's gonna kick ya if she sees ya out of bed."

"Tell me about it," he mumbled as he shuffled past her. "Can you distract her or somethin'? I just need a smoke."

"Don't you know those things will kill ya?" she said with one brow quirked.

"Not before your sister does."

Maggie's lips spread into a wide grin before her eyes darted down the hall from where she just came. "Alright. Use the exit at the end."

Daryl watched her walk away, chuckling under her breath. He didn't want to even know what kind of evil plan Maggie had in her head right now. He could barely handle one Greene girl, he wasn't about to take the eldest one as well. Besides, it seemed like Glenn handled her just fine.

Once he heard Maggie's voice intermixed with Beth's, he started to move toward the exit. He heard them walking away from him and knew he'd owe Maggie later. He didn't want to think on it too much. Instead, he pushed open the door with a grunt and made his way out into the morning light. The sun was beaming down, and a light breeze blew his hair about. He hadn't really noticed how long his hair was starting to get until just now. Even though it seemed like years ago that they were parked on that highway in Dale's RV, it was really just a few weeks ago. Maybe even a few months ago. Either way, it hadn't been but a few months before that that everything in the word was normal. The dead wasn't walking and he didn't know Beth Greene or Rick Grimes. As he pulled a pack and lighter from the front pocket of his jeans, he wondered if not knowing them at this point in his life would be better or worse.

He released a sigh as he pulled a cigarette out by his teeth. He glanced down at his feet and sighed even louder when he noticed he had forgotten his shoes. Hell, he wasn't even wearing any socks. All he had on was the jeans he wore the day he got shot, and a lovely bandage over his chest. Thinking of his wound made it itch, so he instinctively brought his hand up to scratch his chest.

"Don't do that," chided a firm, yet warm voice from beside him. He glanced over and almost jumped out of his skin when he noticed it was Hershel.

"Didn't see ya there."

"I was sitting a little ways away," he said calmly as he gestured toward a bench not too far from where they stood. "Maggie just left me. Came out to get some air."

"Oh yeah?" he replied with slight annoyance. He should have known Maggie was up to something. Was she trying to murder him before he was even well? How was it a good idea to lead him into the same area as her father?

"I see you're doing well today."

Daryl watched him move swiftly, using his crutches as an extension for his leg. He hadn't had them for very long, which was rather impressive in Daryl's eyes. "Yeah. Feelin' super."

"Glad ta hear it," he replied as he turned and slowly lowered himself onto the bench.

After he was seated, he didn't say another word. He picked up his Bible and quietly scanned the pages, not even sparing Daryl a glance. Daryl blew out a puff of smoke before moving to sit next to him. He awkwardly adjusted his hands into the pocket of his jeans, completely out of his element. He never had to talk to a girl's father before. Hell, he never had an actual girl. Or at least not one like Beth. Beth was definitely the type that deserved a relationship. Whether or not he thought he deserved her wasn't up to him anymore. He knew he didn't, but she had decided otherwise. If he was what she wanted, then who was he to argue? Of course the voice of his brother in his head had plenty to say on the matter.

He blew out another puff of smoke. Hershel still didn't seem to mind his presence, which was becoming unsettling by every second that ticked by. Maybe he was just waiting to pounce. Maybe he had a gun hidden in his pants. All he was waiting for was for Daryl to turn his back. He wondered if Hershel would make it look like an accident. After a few more thoughts passed through his head, he wondered why his finger felt like it was on fire. He glanced down and groaned inwardly once he saw his cigarette had burned down to nothing. He then quickly flicked it to the ground before pushing himself to his feet. He didn't need to smoke anyway.

After stomping it out with the heel of his foot, he spared one more glance for Hershel. The old man was still interested in his book, not caring that Daryl was making so much noise. It was odd for him to be so loud, but he just felt so weird being quiet around Hershel. He felt weird around the man in general. He decided to just shrug it off and head back to his room before Beth had a fit about him leaving bed. However, as soon as he touched the doorknob, he couldn't keep it in any longer. He swiftly whipped around and walked back to Hershel, stopping once he was standing right in front of him. Hershel finally noticed him, and lowered his Bible to his lap.

"Somethin' ya need, son?"

Daryl rolled his neck and opened his mouth to speak. However, nothing came out. He shook his head and turned on his heel, all intentions to leave for real this time. He didn't move one step, though. He shook his head once more, only more vigorously this time. He took a deep breath, and then whipped around to face Hershel once more. His book was still in his lap and his eyes were full of undying attention for Daryl.

"Listen," Daryl began. "I wanted ta tell ya about Beth and I face ta face, not while I was unconscious."

Hershel rose a brow. "You are telling me face to face."

"Whattya mean?"

"I mean this is the first time you've told me."

"But Beth said I was talkin' in my sleep."

"Did she now?" he asked with a loud chuckle.

"She enjoys being my own personal tormentor," he muttered with a shake of his head. Although, he found it hard not to smile. Maybe that was just something Hershel had passed on to his youngest daughter. Beth always knew how to turn his frown upside down, so to speak.

"Beth told me," he explained after his laughter subsided. "I asked her about it after she brought you back and had a fit about being in the operating room."

"I see," he responded with uncertainty, his foot absentmindedly drawing circles in the dirt with his big toe.

Hershel's face was still full of bright joy, but his tone was firm and his eyes were serious. Daryl didn't know how else to respond. He wasn't even sure what to say. So he moved to the side and took a seat back where he previously set, hunching over with his hands loosely clasped together between his outstretched legs.

"Daryl," began Hershel as he closed his book and turned his eyes to the sky. "I'm going to be honest with you. I wasn't very happy to hear this news. I imagine any father would be a little apprehensive about their seventeen-year-old daughter being infatuated with a thirty-something-year-old man."

Daryl decided to remain quiet, prompting Hershel to draw his gaze in his direction. All he could do was mouth the word "infatuated" back at him.

"The age difference is concerning," he added as his face lost all the playful amusement from earlier. "Add that to the fact that I barely know you, and you can imagine how hard it is for me to process all of this."

"I didn't really plan for it, sir," he said in the most formal voice anyone would ever hear Daryl use. For Hershel's sake, he thought it best to be more tactful about the whole thing.

"No one ever does, son," he replied as he gently stroked his chin. "However, Bethie told me everything you've done for her. For the group. You're a good man in her eyes. I've seen it first hand when you went back for her and Carl. That's why I'm gonna cut ya a deal."

Daryl found himself mimicking Hershel's posture and gestures, his curiosity fully peeked. "What kind of deal?"

"I don't mind affectionate gestures, but I don't want anything serious until Beth is eighteen."

"Eighteen?" he repeated, mouth slightly agape.

"I could have made it twenty-one," he retorted with a lopsided grin. "Eighteen isn't very far away. Although, it's hard to tell anymore. I'll just let ya know when it's okay."

"I'm sure ya will," he muttered as he crossed his arms and watched Hershel reach for his crutches. It wasn't long before the old man was on his feet, ready to be on the move. Daryl instantly regretted ever being impressed about his ability to handle himself on them so well. It wasn't as if Hershel was wrong. Waiting until Beth was eighteen would be better for everyone. It also meant she had plenty of time to reconsider everything. He knew she'd come to her senses sooner or later. He just wasn't sure if he was ever going to come to his. Beth Greene was like a dream and a nightmare, all rolled into one. For as much as he wanted to be with her, there would always be a part of him that would never truly understand why she wanted to be with him. However, right now the part of him that was telling that part to shut up, was thinking about one thing and one thing only. Beth Greene was now something he could kiss, but he couldn't go any further with. He wasn't sure how long he was going to last knowing she was off limits. After all, the sweetest candy is the candy your mother says you can't have until you finish your supper.

* * *

"Daryl!" shouted Beth from afar. It didn't take her long to make her way over to him.

He knew he was in for it now. He didn't mind, though. He had needed some time for himself in the fresh air. After his conversation with Hershel, he took a long walk around to the front of the prison. He ended up by the fences, staring out at the setting sun in the distance. There wasn't very many Walkers pressed against the fence that evening. Most of them had taken to the other end and away from him. He hadn't planned to stay outside for nearly the whole day, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Daryl," she said again once she was closer, coming to a stop at his side. "I've been lookin' all over for you. You weren't suppose to leave your bed."

"I can do what I want," he mumbled, sounding more like a kid than a grown man trying to make a point.

"I know. I just like takin' care of you is all," she mumbled in return, turning her face away shyly.

Daryl slowly lowered his gaze toward her. Damn Hershel and his rules, because now all he could think about was the complete opposite of keeping his hands to himself. It was hard not to think that way when she looked so innocent and cute. He never thought he'd even think of that word. It was just so perfect for Beth, though. She was cute in every sense of the word. If he were brave enough to think it, he'd probably even say she were a adorable.

"Come on," stated Beth as she gently took his arm in both her hands.

"Wait," he said abruptly, turning around to face her head on. Beth stared at him, her brows knitted together in confusion as she waited for him to continue. What she didn't expect, however, was for him to pull her against him and capture her lips with his own. Her eyes widen in shock, mostly because he hadn't once initiated a kiss between them before. This kiss wasn't anywhere near the others she had given to him. Not even their first kiss was as passionate and heady as this one. Of course it had made them both sigh in content, but this made Beth moan. The way his mouth slanted against hers until his tongue darted out and tasted her lips, coaxing her to open her own mouth and allow him access. It sent a sensation through her spine, and all the way down between her thighs.

Neither one was sure when they had ended up pressed tightly together against the fence. After neither one had any breath left, Daryl pulled away and took in a large gulp of air. Beth sighed deeply in response before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face closer to hers. He almost thought she was going to kiss him again. Instead, she just held him close.

"I see what you're doing, Dixon," she muttered between heavy breathing. "Tryin' to distract me from hauling your ass back to the infirmary."

"Ya caught me."

"Don't blame me when you hurt yourself again."

"I could never blame you," he uttered softly before pressing his forehead against hers, giving him the perfect level to stare directly back into her eyes with his own. "Even if ya do pester me too much for your own good."

A soft chuckle left her lips. "It's for _your _own good that I do."

Daryl gently shook his head, causing her to move in tune with him. After a moment longer of just basking in each other's presence, Daryl pulled away. However, Beth didn't move from his side. She lowered her arms to around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He tried hard to hide the smile that spread across his lips. Beth was definitely a hands on kind of girl. It seemed like if she wasn't hugging you, she was grabbing you or kissing your cheek. He normally wasn't very good with being touched, but he could let it slide for Beth. Just like he let everything else slide with her.

"Your dad told me somethin' interesting," he began slowly, watching her reaction. She turned her head upward, her chin resting against his chest. "I don't talk in my sleep."

Beth's lips spread into an innocent smile. "What else did he say?"

"That we ain't allowed to see each other until your eighteen."

Beth's smile faded and she instantly pulled away with shock written all over her face. "What? That can't be true. He told me nothing serious."

"Guess he changed his mind," he replied with a shrug.

"Daryl," she chided as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Then why did ya kiss me like that? You'd never do somethin' like that if what you say is true."

Daryl shook his head as he turned his gaze away from her. Instead of answering, he just grinned cheekily. It didn't take her long to realize that he was messing with her, which in turn made her slap his arm more roughly than she intended. She didn't take it back, though.

"Ya shouldn't be beaten up wounded people," he muttered as he put a hand on his arm where she had hit him.

"You'll get over it."

Daryl shook his head once more. A quaint silence then fell between them as they stared out into the distance. Eventually Beth suggested they return back to the prison. She could see from a distance that Rick and Carl were making their way toward the guard tower, which meant he was probably going to take a late watch with him. She smiled at the thought of the two having some time together. After everything that had happened, Carl needed to learn that his father was there for him. However, before they turned to leave, a noise outside caught their attention. Even though Beth tried to make Daryl stand back, he still stood in front of her as they approached the gate. It wasn't long before Rick and Carl joined them, having notice them running toward the gate, and began asking them questions about why they were in such a hurry.

"Thought I heard somethin'," Daryl said with a wave of his hand at the trees in the distance.

Rick nodded his response and began unlocking the gate. Before he even reached the second gate, three or so vehicles began roaring toward them. He instantly pulled out his gun, but didn't shoot when the car in front came to a stop and an old man stuck his head out the passenger's side window.

"Please, don't shoot!" he shouted toward them. "We-we're former residents of Woodbury, but we're all old. There's a few children and young women, but that's all. We...have nowhere to go!"

"Ain't that a shame," called Daryl as he came to Rick's side. He had nothing on him to fight with. Hell, he was still barefoot. It didn't matter, though. He could face anyone down with his bare hands if it came down to that.

"Daryl," muttered Beth as she came to his side. "They're old and vulnerable. We can't leave them."

Beth's eyes met Rick's, but he didn't lower his gun. "Dad," piped Carl as he took a hold of the hem of Rick's shirt. A silent understanding seemed to pass between them, causing Rick to lower his gun.

"Guess the more the merrier, right?"

"The more the deadlier," snapped Daryl, earning a side look from Beth. He couldn't help it, though. No matter how old or young they were, they were still unknown to them. Complete strangers. Even if the Governor was dead, he didn't really trust anyone.

"Daryl," said Beth firmly as she took his hand in hers. "We all understand your apprehensiveness," she paused as she gazed toward Rick and Carl. "But, everyone deserves a second chance. A new beginning. Against all odds, we survived. It's only right that we help others do the same."

Daryl scratched his neck before giving a shrug of his shoulders. "Like I said before, you pester me too much, woman."

"Good," she replied with a cheeky grin.

She was right, though. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. If the world gave him the chance to have a life with Beth, then it was only right that he gave the world a chance to prove everyone else wasn't as bad as the Governor. Against all odds, they had survived. Now it was time to give everyone else the chance to do the same.

* * *

Well, there you have it everyone! That's the end of this story. I think it was a nice note to end on, and it'll definitely be bringing some extra drama to the sequel. I'm not going to say very much here because I have a whole other chapter written out specifically for my final notes. I'm just going to say that I can't wait to write the sequel with this rule in mind for Beth and Daryl. I also can't wait to insert all the new people into the prison. It's definitely gonna be hectic. ;)


	24. The Epilogue

If you're reading this, then that means Against All Odds has reached its end. This is sort of an "Epilogue" kind of chapter, where I'll be saying a few extra things about the story as a whole. I will also post some names of my top reviewers. So let's get started with a fun fact about this story. From the very moment I started it, I had no idea where I was taking it. To be quite honest, the whole concept of this story is based on the chapter "The Pool Table". That's right, folks! This entire story was made just because I wanted to write a scene where Beth and Daryl played pool! Before I got to that chapter, however, I had already planned out that Governor's trap and torture plot. I knew I wanted to kill T-Dog, Lori and Merle. I just didn't how I was going to do it. I also knew I wanted to have Beth and Carl be left behind when they escaped, I just didn't know I was going to have it happen when it did. A lot of this was just me making shit up as I went. By the time I got to this whole "Daryl getting shot and Beth and Maggie saving the day" scenario, I had no idea what I was even doing. I had originally planned for the Governor to return in the sequel. I planned for the prison to fall, and maybe even in the same way as the show did it. Yes, that also means I had in mind to kill Hershel. However, now that the Governor is no more, the entire sequel has been recreated in my head! I honestly find the way things are going much more interesting compared to what I originally had. And now when I start the sequel, I will be pleasantly surprised by every turn I take. I actually enjoy not knowing what I plan to do next. Most people would probably find that sloppy, but I think it adds to the creative process. It makes not only the reader surprised about what you're writing, but you as well. I think not planning this story is one reason why I really enjoyed writing it so much, even though that's basically how I write stories anyway. Screw outlines! I also think I grew since chapter one. My writing has evolved slowly from each chapter as I take in your suggestions and apply them to the next chapter. You guys have made me a better writer, and I thank every single one of you for your support and interest. This story wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for the readers! Just like the show wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for us, the viewers! They constantly say that we are what make The Walking Dead what it is today. We are an amazing fandom, and I love every single one of you! I even love the completely crazy people in the fandom! I hope that I can take everything I learned from writing this story, and use it to make a better sequel. I hope everyone returns when I write my next TWD story, because that won't be until sometime in 2015. After this is complete, I plan to work on a different story for a different fandom. You can find details about that on my profile.

Now that I'm done talking about that, I would like to name the top reviewers since the very beginning. These are just the people that have reviewed almost every single chapter since they first discovered the story. Of course I appreciate every last reviewer that has sent me their kind words, but these are the people that have went above and beyond to show me just how much they love me!

**TANIA IBARBIA  
KEVKYE  
PENELOPEPANTS  
TWD WITHDRAWL  
AN AMBER PEN  
WEWAK  
TWDSBETHYL  
SOURPATCHKID26  
DARYLDIXON'SLOVER  
KSHAWBEE  
BELLA (Who isn't actually a regular reviewer, but one of my best friends that has supported me and my story from the beginning!)**

There's not much else to really say. I'm both happy and sad to finish this story. I will be continuing to update Firsts, if anyone is interested in seeing more stories by me with our favorite farm girl and redneck! At least that can tide you over until I start the next story. I can tell you that my next TWD story will not be the sequel to this one. So I recommend following me or checking my profile for updates regularly if you'd like to know when I'll be starting that. Again, I am very happy for all of the great reviews. Share the story with your friends, and I hope to see you soon!

P.S: Do I get an award for writing an M rated fan fiction about Bethyl with no sex scenes between them once? I hope my reward is made of chocolate!


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